When Pharrell Williams tried on a sample of his latest sneaker designed with adidas, he experienced a sensation he had never felt before: “I felt like I was walking barefoot,” he says. “Despite the advanced technology and materials used to create such a cushioned shoe, I felt in close contact with the earth.”

After this experience, Pharrell immediately thought about consulting with whom he would want to find the most suitable name for that type of sneaker. “I wanted to receive advice from our Native brothers and sisters,” he explains. I have learned so much from their view on existence and nature that I couldn’t do without their opinion.” Five years ago, Pharrell traveled to North Dakota where he met with members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe to shoot the first campaign of his adidas Hu NMD sneaker, and since then, he has stayed in touch with many of them. “I reached out to my brother Dee Jay Two Bears and asked him how to say Barefoot in the Dakota Native language. He gave me an enlightening answer: ‘sičhona,’ which means being connected with the earth.” From there, the name of the new shoe was born: Humanrace Sičhona.

Pharrell and adidas returned to Standing Rock for the presentation of the shoe, where they shot another spot featuring the youth from Dakota. This is a particularly fitting idea in line with the worldwide success achieved by the Hu NMD produced in dozens of extravagant colorways through an unprecedented collaboration with Chanel. Meanwhile, the Sičhona marks a new chapter in Pharrell’s long-standing partnership with the iconic adidas brand. Beyond all the innovative technology used to shape its elegant silhouette, such as the sculptural Futurenatural midsole that allows feet to move more fluidly and naturally, the Sičhona is also the first shoe to feature Pharrell’s Humanrace logo. A brand introduced last year with the launch of his highly acclaimed skincare line.

On the occasion of the launch of the Humanrace Sičhona, set to be released on August 27 via the Adidas Confirmed app, Humanrace.com, and selected retailers, AllinReplica had a chat with Pharrell about the new lineup, what he has brought to the sneaker world, and his trust in the laws that balance the universe.

GQ: This is the first sneaker featuring your Humanrace brand. What prompted you to make this choice?
Pharrell: Humanrace is my new luxury brand. My conception of luxury is based on a very specific idea, different from the common use of this term. The aesthetic aspect remains important, including the quality of materials, but not neglecting utility. When you buy something, you acquire an asset that should stay with you. Today, everyone makes much more thoughtful purchases compared to the past, and, above all, consumption is conscious. Prioritizing oneself and one’s well-being remains the starting point. However, the height of luxury is knowing how to take care of oneself, others, and the environment. This is what we aim to do with Humanrace. We focus on comfort, design creativity, and our human condition.

What do you mean by “human condition”?
Well, thinking about the human condition is fundamental and is linked to the concept of balance and well-being. Training our body to stay healthy is as important as training ourselves to coexist as a society; we depend on each other. The ongoing wars and disasters that plague our world should not be overlooked. We must carefully analyze all the calamities that are causing distress. It is senseless to underestimate the incredible and truly contagious division in our nation at this time. Attention must be given to the current pandemic. This is the human condition. We must ask ourselves: what can we do to contribute to change? How can we cooperate to elevate ourselves from this condition? It all starts with a careful consideration of the human condition.

You mentioned that true luxury is taking care of oneself and others. How have you tried to do this recently?
Although I claim to prioritize oneself, I am proud to think of others and strive to do something helpful for the next person. There is the work we do with World Central Kitchen alongside José Andrés, aimed at providing enough food to hungry people and keeping restaurants open without profit loss in such challenging times. There is the activity carried out with Black Ambition to support Black and Latinx entrepreneurs in developing their ideas by helping them realize sustainable projects. Then there is the commitment with Yellow in an effort to change things in education. And, at the same time, music remains my passion. I am just putting forth my utmost effort as everyone should always do. Life is not just about ourselves as individuals. It is about others.

Among the first sneakers I decided to buy, I remember the Ice Cream Boardflip, one of the first shoes you designed. Do you think your style as a designer has evolved or remained the same from that period?
I don’t know. I evolve and grow just like everyone else. At the time, I foresaw an evolution in skate culture and thought that it would be increasingly considered worldwide. Thankfully, skateboarding has now become an official sport at the Olympics and is one of the most significant recognitions of recent times. A great step forward in respect of what so many talented people can offer. Skateboarding has given us a lot of men and women who have continued to do many positive things outside of skateboarding. It is their unique perspective that has changed the world. At that time, I made every effort to uplift skateboarding.

Today, I no longer feel the weight of that responsibility on my shoulders. However, when I design something, I still draw inspiration from my guiding principles: comfort, creativity, and attention to the human condition. I think not only about the well-being of the individual who will wear them but also about the rest of the world they live in.

Throughout your career, you have worked with some of the most legendary designers on the planet, from Nigo to Karl Lagerfeld. What are the greatest design lessons you have learned from these experiences?
Nigo is 50% taste and 50% care, but whether in music or clothing, he is 100% and 100% care. So his total value is 200%. As for Karl, he was 100% a designer and 100% a creative director. He was two people in one. You have just mentioned two GOATs, absolute excellence. Compared to Nigo and Karl, I am nobody.

That said, you cannot hide the immense amount of work you have done as a sneaker designer. It is a culture that means so much to you: what kind of legacy do you hope to leave in the sneaker world?
Oh, I haven’t graduated yet. I am still a student. I am still developing my initial ideas. I am inspired by a continuous inflow of information that I need to study. Sometimes my mind seems to explode, but I am learning so much, and I am so excited about it. What I reflect on comes out in my music and in every design project I work on: study is food. Never stop learning.

In these years, sneaker collaborations come and go in the blink of an eye, but your relationship with adidas has stood strong for nearly a decade. Why is it so solid?
Well, I am a student, and they are a popular brand. Whatever I manage to learn new, I enjoy sharing it with them. So we end up creating something together as partners. They care about what happens in the world in many ways. When they make mistakes, they face them, and I enjoy helping turn a problem into an opportunity. Their brand always seeks to improve the relationship with its consumer base; there is attention. I believe this is our common strength. We both want to be helpful to those who support us.

For obvious artistic reasons, after the monumental success of your track “Happy,” most people associate you with happiness. How have you managed to maintain hope and optimism amidst the turmoil of the past year?
I believe in the universe. It was here before us. It will be here after us. For me, there is a divine order that gives me hope and optimism, and this is what I have faith in. Humanity? That’s a different story. Man is not always careful and kind. Regardless of their behavior, the universe always remains there. This is what not only makes me hopeful but incredibly happy and joyful. We have been through so much as a species, and our resilience has always prevailed. The universe has always been consistent and constant. If you think about it, it has been 14.8 billion years since we have seen solar systems come into being and collapse over and over again. God remains the greatest. Everything will be fine.

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