LL International to Create Athletic Brand Shoe for Rapper Snoop Dogg

Los Angeles-based LL International Shoe Company, dba Dada Footwear, will design two versions of an athletic shoe for million-selling rapper Snoop Dogg, bringing to the 2002 back-to-school market a relationship initiated by a friendship between Dada’s CEO Lantz Simpson and the West Coast rapper.

Dada has already made prototypes for the shoe, which were based on Snoop’s love for basketball, with his favorite team, the Los Angeles Lakers, in mind. Snoop has the first two pairs in his possession.

“They’re in Lakers colors—purple and gold,” said Simpson. “One high top and one low top. We’ll also have a three-quarter version, with comfort supreme technology inside, and it will definitely have a shankpiece. It will be a functional real basketball shoe, not just a fashion-type piece. It will bear his logo on the side, of course—the dog paw—and we’ll also incorporate his logo on the outsole of the shoe.”

Last year, two shoes were created for Snoop to wear personally, one for a promotional concert sponsored by Dada and Los Angeles radio station Power 106 FM, which took place in Hawaii; the other pair was designed for Snoop’s tour with rapper/producer Dr. Dre last year. Both of those shoes were styled like the old canvas “Chuck Taylor” signature high-top shoes by Converse—which has become a fashion staple in rap-music culture.

“Those were personal and just for the tour,” said Simpson. “We put a bandana print inside of it.”

Simpson said that while Snoop was not actually involved in the design of the new shoes, he will definitely provide input in the design of the subsequent shoes, to create a line of shoes with Snoop’s brand similar to the efforts that went into Nike’s Air Jordan shoes for Michael Jordan.

“We’ll keep it moving,” said Simpson. “He’ll have some team cats who will rock his shoes in the NBA.”

The shoe deal, which is the first entertainer logo deal for Dada, will be restricted to footwear because Snoop has a separate deal for his apparel.

“I’m from Long Beach, [Snoop is] from Long Beach,” said Simpson. “We’re from the same school district, and we have the same homies.”

Simpson said that the previously unreleased designs will be available for sale on the Internet shortly. The Snoop Dogg shoe will be available for the Fall 2002 season. Dada Footwear was created by Simpson and Lavetta Willis as a shoe division for Dada Clothing in 1998.—Darryl James