Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera wear them. So do Kim Kardashian and Demi Lovato. Now, Doja Cat is slipping into them, too.
The Planet Her rapper — who recently attended the Met Gala in cat prosthetics — is the latest celebrity to sign on as the face of Skechers, the footwear brand known for its chunky sneakers.
According to a press release, Doja Cat is the company’s first “Artist-in-Residence,” a role that has resulted in a chaotic new commercial starring the Grammy-winning musician. The anime-inspired ad shows Doja Cat — or rather, the dueling light and dark sides of her personality — go to battle. Both Good Doja and Evil Doja are clad in Skechers’ new UNO sneaker, a neon shoe with an air-cushioned sole.
Doja has worn the sneaker off-camera, too. At the TIME100 Gala on April 26, she performed wearing a custom corset and miniskirt, crafted by designer and upcycler Cierra Boyd, made from a pair of black UNOs.
Doja Cat is the latest in a long line of mega-famous musical stars that Skechers has recruited. In 1999, Britney Spears fronted a campaign for the brand’s now-famous Energy sneaker. The endorsement immediately propelled Skechers to the limelight, rendering the Energy a success.
Five years later, a then 24-year-old Christina Aguilera appeared in a series of Skechers ads portraying her as a sexy cop, nurse, and schoolgirl. Medical professionals criticized the brand for trivializing their line of work, forcing Skechers to pull the image of Aguilera as a nurse, but it didn’t matter — the controversial campaign had already managed to generate a fair amount of buzz for the brand.
Other celebrities who have lent their face to Skechers include Kim Kardashian, Demi Lovato, Snoop Dogg, and Carrie Underwood — names that, for the most part, immediately recall the early-to-mid 2000s. With Doja Cat, Skechers plants itself firmly in the present.
