The New Orleans "Soulja"
Before social media took over the sneaker industry, the regional culture on the streets dictated the uniform that was prevalent in that part of the country. Hustlers, musical artists, and skaters were the trend setters at a time before you could see what was hot on the internet. For this reason, certain sneakers today are synonymous with certain cities. The Nike Air Force 1 or G-Nikes as we call them in New Orleans, for instance, became a staple of New York after hustlers adopted it and rap legend Jay-Z cosigned and name-dropped it in his music. In this same manner in the late 90s and early 2000s, the Reebok Workout Low became synonymous with New Orleans.
In Uptown New Orleans, Soulja (“Soldier”) Rees became the uniform for hustlers in that part of the city. The name comes from the late rapper and New Orleans native, Soulja Slim, who gave the shoe its nickname. Simultaneous with his ascension in the rap game in the late 90s and early 2000s, Reeboks began gaining traction as Soulja Slim wore and verbally repped the brand. From this moment on, Workout Lows were known as “Souljas” throughout New Orleans and wherever else his music was consumed. At the end of his song “Souljas On My Feet”, Soulja Slim puts the industry on notice with his line “You're wearing Soulja Reeboks now boy. I got you wearing them. I started calling Soulja Reeboks that.” Further confirming his influence, Lil Wayne and Curren$y, who are both two of the biggest New Orleans rappers, accredited him for putting “Souljas” on the map in recent interviews. His influence, along with that of the rest of the Hot Boyz, put a national image on New Orleans street wear which was then recognized and mimicked around the country.
The Reebok Workout Low wave was so prominent that Reebok itself couldn’t help but accept it and capitalize on the success of the Hot Boyz in their prime. As the Hot Boyz embraced the brand and would include Reebok sneakers in their music, Reebok decided to gift the rap group with Workout Lows and Classic Leathers, so that listeners of their music would see the group wearing the sneakers in their music videos. The video “I Got That Fire” by Juvenile and Mannie Fresh is one instance that stands out and shows how much Reebok and the rap group embraced one another. To match the camouflage bandanas tied both around his neck and on his head, Juvenile flexed the camouflage Workout Low that was given to the group by the brand. Amid the burning flames, falling money, and raining sparks emerged the look comprised of baggy white tees and oversized pants on top the Reeboks that would come to define the style of New Orleans youth for years to come. This impact can still be felt to this day in the city and is carried on by the people who were teens and young adults during the run of the Hot Boyz.
As recent as 2018, we were reminded of that “Soulja Rees'' era during the NBA All-Star weekend here in New Orleans. Sneaker Politics hosted three straight Reebok events in their shop to celebrate the relationship between the city and the brand. Of all the sneaker brand events going on during that annual crazy sneaker weekend, the three Reebok releases resonated most with the people of New Orleans who appreciated the time when Reebok dominated the city’s sneaker culture. An LSU-themed Shaq Attaq, a Reebok Club C collab with Curren$y, and the Reebok Workout Low collab with Sneaker Politics and Humidity skateshop were released Friday through Sunday at the shop in conjunction with parties that would take place every night of that weekend. Performances by Curren$y and the two Hot Boyz, Juvenile and Mannie Fresh, had the shop jumping late on the night of the rappers’ Club C and Workout Low releases, respectively.
Now, in today’s New Orleans sneaker scene, for this generation of sneakerheads, I’m not sure there is an “it” sneaker that can define the culture for this generation or years to come. Due to the explosion of the sneaker community as a result of social media, sneakers may not be as regional as they once were. Historically speaking, you’ll still think of “Soulja Rees” and Reeboks in general when you think about New Orleans sneaker culture, but I can’t tell you the last time I saw someone rocking Reebok Workouts or even mentioning them. Maybe that’s a result of being a part of a different generation of sneakerheads within a culture driven by hype. Today, Jordans, which have always been everyone’s go-to sneakers, and dunks are dominating the everyday footwear, and it’s hard to determine what the distinct “New Orleans sneaker” is (if there’s even such a thing). In order to recapture that energy that the Hot Boyz brought to the city, it may take another individual with a unique style to blow up on the national level, be the face of the city, and influence the youth so much that people will follow.
For now, we should appreciate “Soulja Rees” and the impact that the Hot Boyz had on not only the fashion industry, but the music industry and the rap game in particular. At the same, we should be embracing the new product that Reebok is putting out today, such as the new Club Cs. So just as the 3rd ward legend Soulja Slim said, “Next time you go in Footlocker, tell them you want a pair of Souljas. Watch what they get ya.”