Although she made her debut in music, Rihanna has now become a legitimate force in the fashion world through her fashion house Fenty.
And at least twice, it has also had an indelible impact on the footwear industry. In 2020, their Fenty collaboration with shoe designer Amina Muaddi earned them the FN Collaborator of the Year award (plus stylist Jaleel Weaver).
But her biggest shoe moment came at the 30th annual FN Achievement Awards in 2016, where she received the shoe of the year award for the Fenty Puma Creeper – an event that effectively crowned her as the “Queen of shoes”.
Rihanna’s Fenty Puma Creeper saw incredible success following its launch in September 2015, selling out within hours of each new pair released. Rihanna, of course, arrived at the FNAA wearing a pair of black and white Creepers, which stood out for their ridged platform sole.
Rihanna was the first woman to win the shoe of the year award. Kanye West won the honor for the Yeezy Boost 350 in 2015, and Stan Smith for the Adidas Stan Smith sneaker in 2014.
In her speech at the awards ceremony in New York City, Rihanna said the award made her “proud to be a woman and proud to be a young woman from Barbados, in particular.”
Rihanna arrives at the FNAA wearing Fenty Puma Creepers. CREDIT: Shutterstock
Rihanna’s Fenty Puma Creepers. CREDIT: Shutterstock
The singer and designer added that she didn’t expect people to love Creepers as much as she did.
“I didn’t expect people to love him like me, and the way they supported him means so much to me,” Rihanna said.
She also praised her fans and her inspiration: “All the Creeper fans and all the street kids who inspire me by doing things their way.”
Watch the video below of Rihanna accepting her FNAA Shoe of the Year honor:
.@Rihanna accepts the shoe of the year award # fnaa30 pic.twitter.com/FBN30CXPj4
– Footwear News (@FootwearNews) November 30, 2016
Since its inception in 1986, the FN Achievement Awards have honored some of the biggest names in footwear – the people, companies and brands who have shaped the industry and its rich history.
The star-studded event, often dubbed the “Shoe Oscars”, is held every winter in New York, with the exception of the 2020 awards, which have gone virtual. Past winners have included a wide range of legends including Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Steve Madden, Kenneth Cole, Tommy Hilfiger and Donna Karen, as well as pioneers such as Kerby Jean-Raymond, Amina Muaddi, Virgil Abloh, Kanye West and – of course – Rihanna.
