Whoopi Goldberg is well-known as a giver of zero fucks, but what is less acknowledged about herβdespite her seemingly contradictory identities as both an unapologetic comfort dresser and a constant front-row presence at New York Fashion Week and the Knicks gamesβis that sheβs a bit of a fashion trailblazer.
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In fact, Goldberg was one of the first major celebritiesβand certainly one of the first female celebritiesβto regularly rock sneakers, both on the red carpet and off (she even accepted her 1986 Golden Globe for The Color Purple wearing a pair of Reebok Freestyles). And on a recent trip to sneaker mecca Stadium Goods with Complex, the star of The View and the recently released Nobodyβs Fool shared why she was, is, and will always be an avowed sneakerhead.
And unsurprisingly, the reason was pretty practical. βI wanted to be comfortable,β she told Complexβs Joe La Puma. βYou know, I can do the heel thing forever, but if I can wear a pair of sneakers, Iβm just happier.β
Kicks she was best known for? Reebok Classics, which Goldberg once owned in a spectrum of hues.
βThe colors were really vibrant,β she said. βNobody had seen anything like that before, and so I got them in every color that they had.β
But her all-time favorites? The brandβs Alien Stomper, which were born out of a collaboration with the famed film franchise and were redesigned for a new audience in 2017.
βTo me, they were the greatest ever,β Goldberg said.
And aside from being a non-prototypically beautiful black woman in an industry already notorious for pushing black women to the fringes, Goldbergβs individualist styleβwhich, along with her immense talent, was the secret to her runaway successβalso made her a target of derision among Hollywood elites.
βWhy are you doing that? Why are you wearing [that]?β she recalls others asking her. Her answer? βBecause you all are sufferingβand you look like youβre suffering. ... Because your feet hurt! ... Iβm comfortable, and I donβt care what people think about what Iβm wearing.β
Indeed, Goldberg has always dressed for herself, with an equal eye for fun and comfort that extends to her footwear, as she told Complex.
βI just think, what will be most interesting for me if I look down?β
But despite her major capital and ability to indulge in as many sneakers as she likes, Goldberg claims to typically go for βthe boring stuff.β Current favorites? Pharrellβs collaboration with Adidas, Nike Air Foamposite Ones, and she has nothing but gracious things to say about Yeezys, maintaining that you sometimes have to separate the artist from the art.
βPeople who create stuff sometimes are out there,β she said. βAnd I just feel like, I canβt judge anybodyβs craziness, you know. I have my own.β
Apparently, Goldbergβs crazy for sneakers, since she copped four pairs for $1289.08 during her shopping trip at Stadium Goods. Itβs nothing new for the multi-hyphenate; sheβs just glad the rest of the fashion industry is catching up.
βLook, you get a little older, and people forget all the stuff you did. But you know, sneakers, for me, have always been part of my life,β she said, later adding: βNow, seeing this amazing explosion of sneakersβand theyβre being accepted as footwear for any timeβI just love that. I love that.β
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