Pepsi has teamed up with basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal to create a custom pair of Reebok sneakers with a (slightly ridiculous) hidden feature. The custom kicks are fitted with their very own secret stash sole that can house a full can of Pepsi Mini for an instant soft drink fix.
While Pepsi has been known to produce some ingenious print ads, its latest campaign infiltrating the sneakerhead community is certainly an unexpected venture. Originally partnering in 1992, Pepsi and Shaq aren’t strangers to collaboration, but it's safe to say that this is their strangest campaign yet.
Created by custom footwear designer Shoe Surgeon, the aptly named "SNEAK'ER" is a custom retrofitted version of the Reebok PUMP Shaq Attaqs. With an astounding size 22 shoe, only Shaq's "larger than life" kicks could comfortably house a sneaky can of Pepsi Mini in the sole. From the outside, the shoe looks fairly unassuming, with the blue, black and red colour palette subtly gesturing to the Pepsi brand.
"My partnership with Pepsi means so much to me because we're always out here having fun, innovating, bringing the noise. Now, I'm pumped that I never have to be without my Pepsi Mini Cans," says Shaq in a PepsiCo press release. Fans have a chance to win one of twenty-two custom SNEAK'ERs by sharing their love for Pepsi Mini on social media with the tag #PepsiMinis #Sweepstakes (although it's worth noting that the sneakers are only available in a slightly impractical Shaq-sized 22).
For more Pepsi news, take a look at the brand's provocative new campaign that trolls Coca-Cola. If you're after more soft drink design, check out Coca-Cola's new TikTok branding that's painfully Gen Z.
