Jae Tips Reveals How He Proved His 12th Grade English Teacher Wrong With Help From Saucony at the FN Achievement Awards 2023
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While presenting the Collaboration of the Year award to Jae Tips and Saucony at the FN Achievement Awards on Wednesday, rap star Trinidad James offered the shoe industry a reminder of the power that comes with having a chip on your shoulder.
“Some people need peace and quiet to design, some of us need an open bar to design, some of us need validation from other people to design. But once in a while, somebody comes along and all they need is a chip,” said Trinidad James, who is also a Saucony collaborator. “That chip is not one that complicates the dream. It’s one that motivates the journey and it teaches you how to survive. Everyone in here is a survivor.”
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He continued, “The beautiful thing about surviving is that when you get through that fire you remember three things: You remember where you came from, you remember who you are, and like my brother Jae Tips would say, you ‘Remember Who Fronted.'”
“Remember Who Fronted” is the name of Jae Tips’ award-winning Grid Azura 2000 collaboration with Saucony Originals, which arrived in May. The name he selected for the shoe served as a reminder to keep moving forward and to have faith that things will eventually fall into place.
Now, he has a trophy to serve as another reminder.
“This is a testimony of believing in yourself,” Jae Tips said while accepting his award on stage at Cipriani South Street in New York.
During his speech, Jae Tips shouted out Jason Faustino, senior global brand manager for collaborations at Saucony.
“I told you I was just looking for an opportunity, I was looking for someone who can take someone who was a customer, who was a lifelong collector of shoes and could tell his story directly to the world,” Jae Tips said. “I’m here to prove that you can put pink where brands put white, you can put purple where brands put brown, gray and burgundy, that you don’t always have to follow embargo dates and things. You can just believe in what you work on. Saucony believed in me.”
Jae Tips, however, did playfully remember at least one person who fronted.
“I’m a kid from the Bronx, N.Y. I grew up with young parents who loved through material, who loved through making sure I had the new Jordans and the new Air Forces going back to school,” he said. “My lifelong dream was, ‘How do I get close to shoes?’ My 12th grade English teacher told me there was no future in footwear, but she’s wrong today.”
Saucony brand president Rob Griffiths said this collaboration with Jae Tips truly and authentically speaks to the brand’s values.
“Throughout our 125 years, we’ve been at the forefront of innovation. Not just innovation in terms of providing the running community with the best possible product that we can design, but also providing innovation in terms of creativity. This collaboration with Jae Tips and his team is a real testament to that creativity,” Griffiths said. “It also demonstrates our commitment to fashion and to the sneaker industry. Over the years, we’ve learned that successful collaborations can only be built on true authenticity. They have to be culturally connected, and it has to add value to both parties. This collaboration certainly delivered on all of those point.”
He continued, “The relationship with Jae Tips is an ongoing relationship, and one that we’re very proud of.”
For 37 years, the annual FN Achievement Awards — often called the “Shoe Oscars” — have celebrated the style stars, best brand stories, ardent philanthropists, emerging talents and industry veterans. The 2023 event is supported by sponsors Authentic Brands Group, Birdies, Caleres, Crocs, FDRA, Nordstrom, Saucony and Vibram.
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