Beyoncé has always made a point of pushing for diversity and inclusion when it comes to her projects. The Grammy Award-winning singer took that same approach when searching for a collaboration with a sneaker brand.
According to ESPN writer Nick DePaula, Beyoncé decided to walk out of a meeting with a sneaker company because there were no Black people in the room.
While on ESPN’s “The Jump,” DePaula revealed that Beyoncé met with multiple brands over the past two years.
“[Beyoncé] had discussed with Under Armour, with Reebok as well. Jordan [at Nike] at one point was interested in maybe partnering with her,” DePaula said on the show. “She had a meeting at Reebok, and they had a whole presentation of everything, potential products, how this could all look, and she kind of took a step back and said, ‘Is this the team that will be working on my product?’”
DePaula continues, “Somebody said, ‘Yes,’ and she said, ‘Nobody in this room reflects my background, my skin color and where I’m from and what I want to do.’ So she took a step back and left and then it did not come to terms.”
Beyoncé eventually signed with Adidas in a deal that was announced on Thursday, April 4, 2019.
“For her, it really goes beyond that,” DePaula shared. “It’s not just about putting her name on a shoe and here’s the new Adidas Beyoncé 1, or whatever they end up calling it. It’s about having an imprint on the company and an impact in terms of diversity.”
