Spencer Badu makes footwear debut with HOKA collaboration
HOKA® , a division of Deckers Brands (NYSE: DECK), is proud to introduce its latest collaboration with Canadian-Ghanaian designer Spencer Badu, marking the designer's official entry into the footwear industry. Known for his elevated and subversive uniform-inspired apparel, Badu brings a deeply personal narrative to the collaboration, rooted in diaspora, discovery and the journey to oneself.
'The first shoe was a big challenge,' said Spencer Badu. 'I wanted to create something that reflected the story of my brand. We design for movement, both physical and emotional, and this collaboration is an expression of that. It's a representation of the journey we take to understand ourselves and our roots.'
The collaboration reimagines HOKA's Elevon X silhouette with a bold yellow upper and iconic details that reflect Badu's roots. In addition to the Spencer Badu logo, the shoe incorporates a Cowrie shell, once used as currency along the Gold Coast of Ghana, and two Adinkra symbols: Fawohodie (Freedom) and Nyame Dua (Tree of Life), which represent spiritual protection and personal liberation. HOKA X Spencer Badu. Credits: HOKA
'This partnership captures the true spirit of a successful collaboration: authenticity, movement and meaning,' said Thomas Cykana, Senior Director of Global Collaborations and Partnerships at HOKA. 'Spencer brought a vision that deeply aligns with our values, and together we created an emotional story told through his eyes.'
The collaboration also comes to life through a short film directed and produced by Badu. Shot between Ghana and Toronto, the film captures moments of introspection and movement, from bustling scenes in Accra's Makola Market to quiet, personal scenes in the designer's studio, serving as both a visual campaign and an artistic statement.
The Spencer Badu Elevon X is available at SpencerBadu's website and in boutiques, as well as on HOKA's website and authorized retailers worldwide. Retail price: €210. WORK AT DECKERS BRANDS? Check out the open vacancies
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Out
5 hours ago
- Time Out
Pizza Studio Tamaki Review: Tokyo's cult-favourite pizzeria opens in Singapore on June 10
It's days before the opening of Pizza Studio Tamaki (PST), and we're sitting in its first Singapore outlet in Tanjong Pagar. The Tokyo-based pizzeria takes over the spot that used to house cocktail bar Tippling Club, and apart from doing away with the hanging glass bottle display that used to dangle across the bar counter, all other fixtures remain pretty much the same. The first thing we hear is that since PST Singapore opened reservations to the public recently, it's already seen a jaw-dropping 2,000 tables booked, even before the official launch on June 10. We do our homework before visiting, and that's how we find out about the brand's seriously studded rep – it's been given stamps of approval by Michelin, 50 Top Pizza, and has even hosted the likes of Jeff Bezos and Justin Bieber when they visited Japan. So, will these famed Tokyo-Neapolitan slices live up to the hype? First, a glance at the menu. There are around 12 pizzas categorised as either tomato or cheese-based, over 10 appetisers, desserts, coffee, and several cocktails crafted by Bar on 38 – another famous pizza joint in Mandarin Oriental Tokyo. While it's not master pizzaiolo Tsubasa Tamaki who'll be firing up slices over at the Singapore branch, he's left the job to his trusted protégé, Ryosuke Tanahara, who's trained under him for close to three years, and can replicate his elusive dough recipe to a tee. Speaking of dough, PST employs a highly specific formula developed by Tamaki himself, using a proprietary blend of Canadian and American wheat flour milled in Japan. The dough is lightly fermented for 30 hours – unlike the 48-to-72-hour proofing periods commonly seen in other Italian restaurants – so it achieves a light, fluffy texture which pulls apart almost like mochi. We sink our teeth into the Tamaki pizza ($29), a 12-inch classic topped with Datterini tomatoes, fresh smoked mozzarella, pecorino romano, and fresh basil. Despite being the most simply constructed of the pizzas we'll be trying, it's easily our favourite. The waiter gives us a much-needed tip: gently press down on the cherry tomatoes before eating. Doing so releases a fresh, fragrant waft of sweetness that greatly adds to the experience. But what's arguably better is the fine dusting of salt that we can distinctly taste on the crust. It turns out that the base of the woodfire oven is lightly seasoned with Okinawan salt for an added layer of umami. And if you prefer less char or salt on your pizzas, customisations are more than welcome. The Bismarck ($32) that arrives soon after falls a tad short of expectations, with the Hinata egg cracked in the middle reaching us slightly underdone, but the spicy Arrabbiata ($30) quickly makes up for it. It's got the same Datterini tomatoes, pork nduja, Aomori garlic, and calabria (chilli flakes) that are slow-dried in-house. Being the spice-lovers that we are, we're glad to say this packs a punch. The 5 Formaggi ($34) is equally well done, with a medley of smoked mozzarella, gorgonzola, taleggio, grana padano and mascarpone. The best part, though, is that the acacia honey, which at this point should be known as a mandatory pairing with cheese pizza, comes at no extra charge. We also try several appetisers, from caramelised pumpkins with a balsamic reduction ($16) to Angus beef and pork meatballs in tomato sauce ($18) – all of which are decent but otherwise unmemorable. If you find yourself in the good graces of the reservation system and manage to snag a table, we'd say splash out on the pizzas instead. After all, there are 12 on the menu to sample, with nothing crossing the $40 mark.
Graziadaily
15 hours ago
- Graziadaily
Here's Where You've Seen The Cast Of Ginny And Georgia Before
Our favourite mother-daughter duo Ginny and Georgia have returned to our screens for a third season, and this time around it's as addictive as ever. As with previous seasons, we can expect plenty more mouther-daughter conflicts, flirting, sex, amazing houses and, of course, murder. 'Season 3 is our most ambitious and explosive season yet,' the show's creator Sarah Lampert old Netflix's Tudum. 'Going into it, we knew our core driving force isn't the plot twists and turns, but the emotional truth of these two women. We care about these characters, they are messy and complicated and real, and that's why we're invested in the wild season they're about to go through.' Season three picks up after Georgia was arrested over the killing of Tom Fuller, and deals with Georgia's murder trial. Everything is turned upside down in Georgia's world as the season wears on, and she begins to prepare for a life in prison. But the end of Episode nine throws all of that into question... Georgia in the present day is played by Brianne Howey. She is best known for her role as Georgia, but since the series launched in 2021 she's also starred as 'Molly Turner' in the Farrelly brothers holiday comedy Dear Santa and as Happy Madison in the Netflix film Kinda Pregnant. Speaking about her character in this season, Howey told Netflix's Tudum 'Georgia is definitely pushed to her limits this season, and she has to survive scenarios she's never had to survive before'' continuing 'Georgia now has to be a survivor with less masks because all of her secrets are out.' Troubled teenager Ginny is played by Antonia Gentry. She is also best known for her role in Ginny and Georgia, although in 2018, she played Jasmine in the romantic comedy feature film Candy Jar. She also has a starring role in the 2024 coming of age comedy Prom Dates. This season, Gentry told Tudum that 'We were able to see a new side of Ginny where she's really coming into her own, and accepting her decisions and standing by them, and making hard choices, but not being riddled with guilt or shame.' Matt Press, often referred to as just 'press' in the show, is played by Canadian born actor Damian Romeo. He started acting around the age of 9, and performed in theatre, cementing his lifelong desire to become an actor. He was described as a 'jerk' on the first two series, and it seems this time around is no different. According to Netflix, we can expect to see more 'taunting remarks' to Ginny about her mum's arrest, and mistreating Abby. PI Gabriel Cordova is a private investigator hired to surveil Georgia, who becomes Nick's boyfriend while undercover as 'Jesse.' He's played by Filipino-Canadian actor Alex Mallari Jr, who is best known for his roles in the TV series Dark Matter and the film The Adam Project alongside Ginny and Georgia. According to Netflix, this season will see Cordova shed his false identity, while his 'vendetta amps up' during Georgia's trial.
Time Out
19 hours ago
- Time Out
Drake UK tour 2025: dates, ticket prices, seating maps and everything you need to know
It's been a mixed year for Drake, but for fans of the Canadian rapper, this news will definitely be a welcome surprise. Drake has announced a huge European tour for this summer, marking his return to the UK after a six year absence. The last time he played on British soil was for his Assassination Vacation tour back in 2019, but there's been a lot of music since then, so these dates are not to be missed. One of these recent releases, the collaborative album with PARTYNEXTDOOR, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, inspired this tour. The band will be supporting Drake across Europe, and they will be featured during the concert. After headlining all three days at London's Wireless festival, the 'God's Plan' singer will be playing six nights in the UK, followed by nearly two months worth of gigs across the continent of Europe. Presale has already passed but don't fear, there's still time for you to bag your tickets. Here's everything you need to know about Drake's upcoming UK and Europe tour. When is Drake going on tour in the UK? Usually there's quite a few months between a tour being announced and the artist actually hitting the stage. Not Drake, though. He broke the news only a few days ago, and the concerts are all scheduled for this summer – he'll be in the UK for four nights at the end of July. These will follow his three-night headlining slot at Wireless Festival earlier in the month. What UK dates are confirmed? Initially, there were only four confirmed dates for the $ome $pecial $hows 4 UK tour, but following huge demand, we've been treated to an extra two (shown below in bold) Drake will be performing the following shows: Sunday, July 20: Birmingham,Utilita Arena Monday, July 21: Birmingham, Utilita Arena Wednesday, July 23: Birmingham, Utilita Arena Friday, July 25: Manchester, Co-op Live Saturday, July 26: Manchester, Co-op Live Monday, July 28: Manchester, Co-op Live When do tickets go on sale? General sale will begins on Friday, June 6 and will be accessible via LiveNation here, or Ticketmaster here. They will go live at 12pm local time, which, for the UK, is British Summer Time (BST). You'll also find tickets over on StubHub and if you want to go VIP, SeatUnique is the place to go. Is there a presale? Unfortunately, you've missed the presale. It came and went on June 4. But there will be plenty of tickets left at general sale on Friday. How much are tickets? According to fans who have had access to presale, tickets start at £68, but some people on social media are saying they paid up to £500 for a single ticket, with standing tickets being around £170. Drake $ome $pecial $hows 4 U European tour dates These are the rest of the European dates for Drake's upcoming tour. Wednesday July 30: Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome Thursday July 31: Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome Thursday Aug 07: Antwerp, Belgium – Sportpaleis Monday Aug 11: Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion Friday August 15: Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena Saturday August16: Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena Thursday August 21: Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena Friday August 22: Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena Sunday August 24: Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena Monday August 25: Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena Friday August 29: Milan, Italy – Unipol Forum Saturday August 30: Milan, Italy – Unipol Forum Sunday September 07: Paris, France – Accor Arena Monday September 08: Paris, France – Accor Arena Thursday September 11: Berlin, Germany – Uber Arena Friday September 12: Berlin, Germany – Uber Arena Tuesday September 16: Munich, Germany – Olympiahalle Thursday September 18: Munich, Germany – Olympiahalle Monday September 22: Hamburg, Germany – Barclays Arena Tuesday September 23: Hamburg, Germany – Barclays Arena
