Flight Club is the holy grail of sneaker consignment shops across the globe. With locations in New York City, Miami and Los Angeles, it’s long been a staple in rappers’ itinerary when making stops in any of the aforementioned American pop-culture capital cities since its ‘05 inception.
Meshing the often-linked cultures of sneakers and music, Flight Club launched its Flight Club Fridays content series in 2019. Think of it as a version of Complex’s Sneaker Shopping meets Colors as various artists have pulled up to browse the shelves for rare kicks while reflecting on their footwear history and give a unique performance for fans in the store.
Past seasons have seen Saweetie, Doja Cat, Tinashe, Smino, Young Nudy and more welcomed to Flight Club on their come-up in the music industry. Veterans such as The Game have also returned to the footwear enthusiast museum for episodes.
“Music has an undeniable influence on sneaker culture, and the series provides a unique lens into how sneakers, music and art all intersect through intimate performances and dialogue,” GOAT Group Chief Brand Officer Sen Sugano relays to Billboard.
This week, Flight Club Fridays is celebrating its fifth anniversary and there’s a completely new lineup coming to the series with Flo Milli kicking things off on Friday (May 17), Billboard can exclusively report.
Behind the Alabama-bred rhymer, there’s burgeoning rappers such as the eclectic duo of Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist, as well as Veeze and Ot7Quanny. Sugano explains that each artist is handpicked by the team as they’re “fans first and foremost” of everyone involved.
“It goes without saying that sneakers and hip-hop music have influenced each other,” Sugano states. “Hip-hop artists have historically embraced sneakers as a form of self expression, and Flight Club has been at the forefront of that relationship.”
Billboard has the exclusive teaser of Flo Milli’s episode, which features the rapper performing her infectious love-drunk anthem “Never Lose Me,” which sits at No. 44 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 after five months on the all-genre chart.
During her first Flight Club visit, Flo recalls “loving how colorful the store” was as she refers to herself as a “crop top and leggings baddie” when it comes to finding kicks to match her laidback wardrobe.
While she’s currently opening for Gunna on The Bittersweet Tour, the 24-year-old tells Billboard she’s “always looking for sneakers to rehearse in.” Chanel kicks, ASICS and New Balances are a few of her go-to brands that she lists. “Give me some scrunch socks and I’m ready,” she adds.
The social currency that comes with being a popular rap artist isn’t lost on Flo Milli. “Let’s be real: Hip-hop influences the world. Sneakers are no exception – hip-hop made sneakers cool,” she declares. “It changed it so much so you have brands making sneakers because of popularity like my fave sneakers, Cha Nay Nay [Chanel].”
Watch Billboard‘s exclusive teaser of Flo Milli’s Flight Club Fridays episode below, and look for the first installment from the new season of the series on Friday.
