A clip of Beyoncé bopping in a pair of high heeled Bape sneaker heels for the “Check On It” video has been making the rounds on the internet lately, leading many to wonder their origin.
The fabulous, funky, pink heels were the brainchild of Beyonce’s then stylist Ty Hunter, who told Complex Magazine that he created the heeled sneakers for the pink themed video because Mrs. Carter needed shoe options that simply didn’t exist on the market. Complex writes, “It was Hunter who purchased the pink patent leather Bapestas at a store and decided to add a heel to them.” His design was inspired by the Manolo Blahnik Timbs Beyonce wore in her Bonnie and Clyde video. Hunter told Complex, “I thought those boots were the coolest thing. They were so sexy. And I took the [Bape] sneakers to Miss Tina and said, ‘These would be cool if they had a heel,’ and she said, ‘Give it a try.’ This is before the sneaker tennis shoe or the sneaker heel had even hit.”
After hitting up Hymie Zelaya, who used to put together Destiny’s Child’s costumes, for a heavy-duty glue he used to customize shoes, Complex says, “He spent the night constructing them, cutting off the top of the sneakers for a more feminine silhouette and then adding a pink patent leather heel to the sole.”
At the time, Bape didn’t have sneaker heels–but perhaps inspired by the resurgence of the popularity of the clip and the recent buzz around it, the brand has decided to release their first heeled sneaker. The styles below are set for a March 21 release:
While Hunter created the silhouette for Check On It, perhaps BAPE can send him a Check for It–besides the concept was his, and Beyonce said in the clip below that they were the “Only High Heeled Bapes.” Bape also told Complex that at the time, Bey’s pink options were the only Bapestas with a heel.
What do you think? Does Bape owe Ty Hunter a Check for his creativity for the Check On It Video?