DJ Clark Kent, an icon in the worlds of hip-hop and sneakers, has died.

“It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of the beloved Rodolfo A. Franklin, known to the world as DJ Clark Kent,” a statement shared Friday on his Instagram read. “Clark passed away Thursday evening surrounded by his devoted wife Kesha, daughter Kabriah and son Antonio.”

The statement continued, “Clark quietly and valiantly fought a three year battle with Colon Cancer, while continuing to share his gifts with the world. The family is grateful for everyone’s love, support and prayers during this time and ask for privacy as they process this immense loss.”

Franklin — known as “God’s Favorite DJ” — produced countless hits for rap icons, including Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G., Rakim and The Fugees, among countless others. His accolades in footwear, too, were remarkable.

Aside from being a go-to expert for all things sneakers and sneaker culture, he was a top-tier collaborator. His collabs included coveted work with Nike (including the “112” pack, which he told FN in 2019 was his proudest work in sneakers), as well as New Balance and K-Swiss. He also was responsible for multiple avant garde collaborations, including the iC1 sneaker he created with mattress company Serta in 2019 and his luxury take on the classic Adidas Forum High with audio software company Serato in 2022.

In an email sent to FN, Nike offered a statement on the passing of the sneaker legend.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend and true cultural icon, DJ Clark Kent. At Nike, we were honored to collaborate with Clark on projects that celebrated not only his deep love for sneakers but also his unwavering dedication to pushing creative boundaries and elevating culture. His impact on the world of sneakers is beyond measure, with an influence that spans the globe and generations. Clark’s legacy will forever inspire future talent, leaving a lasting mark on our industry. Our hearts go out to Clark’s family, friends, and all those touched by his extraordinary talent, passion, and kindness. His presence will be greatly missed,” the brand said via statement.

Amid the celebrations for hip-hop’s 50th anniversary in August 2023, streetwear legend and Walker Wear founder April Walker spoke with FN about DJ Clark Kent, and said he’s one of the most influential people ever when it comes to sneakers.

“His passion for kicks culture has always been authentic. Clark Kent is from the early days, and he’s had such staying power. He’s been a tastemaker when it comes to kicks. His passion for sneakers has always been consistent, his voice has always been consistent, and you feel his authenticity. That energy creates confirmation in the culture, in the kick game,” Walker told FN. “He has served and consulted companies, and if you look at his social media game, we can all see how passionate he is and lends his voice to what he believes in for sneakers. That authenticity will always be the staying power. And the Air Force 1, it has just stood the test of time, and I give Clark credit for amplifying it. There are so many people who wear Air Force 1s, but Clark, it’s part of his uniform.”

About the Author

Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.

The look, which Serato said is more than three years in the making, is a luxury take on the classic Adidas Forum High. The shoes are equipped with mixed-material uppers dressed in black, which Serato said was meant to handle the dirt and stains of club life, that sit atop white midsoles and gum outsoles. Also, the right shoe features white and blue medial Three Stripes branding, while the left features white and red.

To make the shoe even more Serato-specific, it features vinyl pressing detailing on the outsoles and both the company’s original Scratch Live logo and the current DJ Pro logo, with the former used throughout the right shoe and the latter utilized on the left.

“DJs run the party. Let the DJ feel good about their look. Inspire them to play as well as they look,” DJ Clark Kent said in a statement. 

Additionally, the sneakers are packaged with exclusive Serato x Adidas control vinyl, which paired with the software allows the DJ to assign a digital song to the record that’s on one of their two turntables. The black vinyl features white Three Stripes branding.

“Serato’s 20-year life has been a blur of club bangers, chill radio waves and unbound creative genius from everyone who took to the decks with us. And all that’s just the beginning. This collab is a chance to thank the people who have made this life so far the sickest blessing any community could ask for,” Serato chief marketing officer Scotty Hoogerbrug said in a statement.

But if you’re looking to secure a pair, it won’t be easy. The sneakers were sent to a small selection of Serato Tier 1 DJs and do not have a scheduled retail release date.

Serta and the hip-hop artist, musician, producer and designer, have teamed up for the release of the iC1 — a limited-edition sneaker featuring Serta’s iComfort UltraCold System technology, a carbon fiber-infused memory foam and high-performance MaxCold fabric, designed to help pull the heat away from feet for a cool, comfortable feeling. The sneaker, Serta’s first-ever foray into the footwear world, is handmade for Serta by DJ Clark Kent and Garrixon Studios. Each sneaker is numbered and includes a mattress tag with special collection details.

“When I was approached by Serta, I was humbled and honored but also very intrigued,” said DJ Clark Kent. “It’s not often a mattress company wants to create a shoe, but I was up for the challenge. When creating the shoe, I used all premium materials, including croc-, lizard- and ostrich-embossed leather mixed with the Serta mattress tops and cooling foam. Before this project, I had never thought to put mattress material in a shoe, but it makes sense to bring the comfort and cooling of the iComfort mattress to the sneaker community.”

According to Onney Crawley, VP of marketing for Serta, “The iComfort line was created based on in-depth consumer research that found staying cool is the most important feature when it comes to purchasing a mattress. We are excited to bring consumers our iComfort technology in a new and unique way through this limited-edition sneaker designed by DJ Clark Kent. The iC1 is the first wearable mattress for your feet.”

Retailing for $99, the unisex sneaker is available for pre-order now at UrbanNecessities.com and at Urban Necessities retail locations in New York and Las Vegas, starting on Dec. 10.

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For his latest collaboration, DJ Clark Kent had only Black History Month in his mind.

The record producer and sneaker aficionado — who previously told FN that he had 3,500 pairs of kicks stored in the basement of his New Jersey home — teamed up with K-Swiss to design footwear that reinterprets the American heritage brand’s Classic 88 silhouette, inspired by the pan-African flag.

On the sides of the shoe’s white leather base appear five lines of alternating black, green and red. The collaborators explain the colorway: The black stripe brings attention to black people who exist as a nation, not a nation-state; the green represents the abundant natural wealth of the continent; and the red symbolizes the blood that unites all people of black African ancestry.

The limited-edition sneaker, which launches on Feb. 20 in both men’s and women’s sizes, is said to be a celebration of black power and black pride — which Kent himself believes should be observed year-round.

“Black history is every day,” he explained.

Here, the hip-hop DJ — who counts Nike, Adidas and Fila among his collaborative partners — shares his wisdom and talks diversity in the industry.

What made you want to pursue a career in the fashion and footwear industry? How did you break in?

“Honestly, I never pursued a career in the industry. It just happened. I have always been a serious ‘Get Fresh’ guy. I’ve always started from the shoes — and went up. Nike took interest in me because of my vast knowledge of sneakers. What was a light conversation turned into a full consultation contract, then to creating collaborative projects with the brand. After, [there were] more brands … I haven’t looked back yet.”

Looking back on your career, what accomplishment are you most proud of?

“In my fashion/footwear career, I am most proud of the first collaboration, the ‘112’ Pack.”

As a minority, what has been the biggest obstacle you faced in your career? How did you overcome it?

“When I got started in the fashion/footwear industry, I had already been successful in the music business. I understood my worth. I believe that removed the ability to not be treated with respect. There was nothing to overcome.”

What is the biggest challenge African-Americans face in the fashion and footwear industry?

“Understanding how important they are to the success of brands. Especially since we add the flavor. We make everything fresh. And we spend the most money.”

What is the best advice you would offer other African-Americans looking to break into the fashion and footwear industry?

“Get a degree. Study the game. Create real relationships. Remember you are the flavor.”

What specific steps should fashion and footwear firms take to make their teams more diverse?

“Brands need to look within the neighborhoods that are spending on their products to find creative talent. Also, with all the mistakes being made by the brands — Gucci, Prada, H&M [and more] — there should be a person, or persons, hired to police what they are bringing to market.”

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“They’ve never done a collaboration before, and I would like to be the guy to figure it out,” Kent told FN. Until then, though, he’s busy working on six new sneaker projects under wraps. “I get extremely detailed in [my designs]. What I really like to do is embellish on silhouettes,” he said. “If it’s a $100 shoe, when I’m done, it will be $175. I want to be able to say, ‘I’d wear it.’”

When Kent isn’t in a pair of kicks, he opts for shoes by luxury Italian brands. “I like the simple, classic [look] of Gucci and Louis Vuitton loafers,” he noted. “I also wear Valentino sneakers.” But certainly, sneakers are his first footwear love, with 3,500 pairs stored in the basement of his New Jersey home.

Despite his large inventory of size 13s, he insists he’s not a collector. “I get them so I can wear them. [However], it’s hard since new shoes come out every weekend and I’m a junkie.” While Kent would gladly share his stock with 19-year-old son Antonio, the teen wears a size 11.

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DJ Clark Kent, a rap industry veteran who has one of the greatest collections of kicks ever assembled, posted around 2 a.m. ET a photo of the Kardashians on Instagram — who are all giving the camera the middle finger — stating, “KANYE Told Me To Drop His New Song… So… New KANYE WEST • “XTCY” • Link In Bio. (You’re welcome.).” The legendary DJ and record producer also shared the link to the song via his personal Twitter account.

The song from the Yeezy creator is overtly sexual — a welcomed treat for diehard fans of the outspoken rapper-producer, but not an ideal listen for those with sensitive ears. West makes note of how attractive the Kardashian sisters are on the song by rapping, “You’ve got a sister-in-law you would smash? I’ve got four of ’em.”

The link to stream the track is available in DJ Clark Kent’s Instagram bio and on his Twitter account now.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmU9Ds5Hu0q/?hl=en&taken-by=djclarkkent

New KANYE WEST • “XTCY” • Link In Bio. (You’re welcome.) @ Calabasas, California https://t.co/JluDKSS0dK

— DJ CLARK KENT (@DJClarkKent) August 11, 2018

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“Portland is the undisputed epicenter of sneaker culture and the footwear capital of North America,” said Herbert Smith, co-founder. “Sneaker Week was designed to capture the ‘sole’ of the culture.”

Throughout the week, hosted sneaker events will include Sole Sessions, a series of interactive lectures powered by Pensole Academy; the Kick Flicks sneaker film festival; art and customization at the Wacom Block Party; and the Kick & Roll Gym with George Kiel.

The event will also include appearances of pioneers of sneaker culture as it exists today, such as author Bobbito Garcia and sneaker aficionado DJ Clark Kent.

“Sneaker Week serves as an outlet in which members of the sneaker community can curate cultural experiences within art, music, sports and design, representing their interpretation of the boundless influence of the sneaker,” said Smith. “We want to educate and connect like-minded sneakerheads and enthusiasts through the core creative roots of the culture.”

He added that the event was designed to encourage the footwear industry to recognize Portland as a viable market to host influential events such as Sneaker Week “We also hope this week becomes a new platform for the community to convene and appreciate the culture together, while providing a space for the next great wave of creatives to see the city for the opportunities it houses.”

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Chase Benjamin, Chase B

Favorite Las Vegas Club to DJ: “Hakkasan is my favorite probably because it’s like the biggest, and it’s a totally different type of club. 1 Oak I’ve DJed at during the week when it’s a lot of locals.”

Go-to tracks: “Probably some Drake. ‘The Next Episode’ by Dr. Dre is always a huge song in Vegas. In Vegas, I always do a pretty extensive West Coast set.”

DJ style: “My whole thing is to be the anti. My whole thing is to walk in there looking like some straight kid in like a Supreme tee and sagging my jeans extra hard to prove a point that kids like me can have residency in Vegas. As for shoes, I try to switch it up as much as I can, but obviously I don’t want some drunk girl spilling stuff on them. I wear Jordan 4s a lot. Tom Sachs Nikes are what I’ve been wearing a lot right now, the Mars space [shoe]. I wear them every day. They are the best shoes ever, super-comfortable. Or I’ll go with Air Max 1s — something with some type of give or cushion.”

Wildest Vegas DJ experience: “Definitely 1 Oak with Scott Disick. It was my second time DJing there. I had met him a few years ago, but I didn’t think he remembered me. When I pulled up to the club, he was like, ‘It’s time to go!’ and had like 30 [girls]. Bottles started going as soon as he came in and the party was just going from then on out. That’s the kind of time I like to have. It was extraordinary.”

Why he loves sneakers: “Sneakers are kind of like music in a way. You know the blueprint of a sneaker just like with music. There has to be a beat, there has to be a songwriter, there has to be vocals, and same with sneakers. There has to be a sole, a mid, laces — you can change them however you want, whether it’s the color or whatever. There’s always something you can add or change to make it everlasting.”

Dream DJ gig: “If I could do a dream gig, it would probably be a Rockets championship ring celebration party — for when the Rockets win the championship.”

Rashida Gonzalez Robinson, DJ Rashida 

Favorite Vegas club to DJ: “Marquis, Tao, XS, Ghostbar, Drai’s, Rain, HOB Foundation Room, Encore.”

Dream DJ gig: “A dream gig would be playing with Bjork. She’s my all-time fave. But the truth is, I’ve definitely already had my dream job and gig. Playing with Prince for 10 years was a life-changer on every level. I will forever be in gratitude for all of the beauty he brought into my life. He was and continues to be a blessing in my life.”

DJ style: “When I started out, it was all sneakers, mostly high-tops, tomboy style. Then I met Prince and it was all heels and dresses. Now that I’ve had a child, it’s pretty much back to flats and sneakers unless I’m feeling fancy.”

Wildest Vegas DJ experience: “The 3121 residency at Rio with Prince in 2006. I was the opener for the main shows, as well as the DJ for the after-parties in the jazz club and the after-after-parties in his room that lasted until the sun came up. He asked me to edit original videos and imagery that played on the big screens surrounding the room during the show, which was dope. I had my own poster at the entrance and was also included on a huge mural with [Prince] and the band. I had never, ever experienced anything like that before. I was so honored to be a part of it. There were so many wild nights. But the two that stand out to me the most were the night Michael Jackson came to the show and the night [Prince] dedicated ‘Purple Rain’ to my mother, who was in the audience and was often asked to come out to join us on the road.”

Why she loves sneakers: “I’m an OG B-girl, so it just came with the territory. I used to collect high-tops back in the day, Nike and Adidas mostly.”

Rodolfo Franklin, DJ Clark Kent 

Favorite Vegas Club to DJ: “Tao — they get right no matter where they have it.”

Go-to tracks: “My answer is going to seem a lot different than everybody else’s, but the answer is [none] because if you’re a good DJ, you don’t have to have a go-to track. You have a go-to feeling. It’s about the way you play. If you have a go-to track, you’re cheating. It’s about creating a vibe and killing the party, and I can kill a party without playing any new record.”

DJ style: “I wear a brand-new pair of shoes every day, so all I’m trying to do is make sure that they look good. Do my sneakers look good? Does my outfit complement the sneakers? And I dress from the shoes up. It’s simple to make a white T-shirt look cool if your sneakers are dope.”

Wildest Vegas DJ experience: “I did a party for Nike for the 25th anniversary of Air Force Ones during All Star Weekend a while ago. And it was just so turnt, like it was complete debauchery. It was bananas. People were going crazy all night.”

Why he loves sneakers: “When you grow up in the hood, you have guys that you look at [as] leaders. You realize that they get all the girls, they’re fresher than everybody else — something has to be special about them. The common denominator back in the day was that they always had the best sneakers. So when you’re a kid and you’re 9, you’re looking up to these guys, all you do is focus on the shoes. You started buying shoes that they bought. And then it just turned into the craziness cause all you wanted to do was to be fresh, and the fresh way was to get the shoes they had.”

On his shoe collection: “It’s up there. It’s a lot. It’s not cool. I can say it’s not cool. It’s somewhat of a slight addiction. I would say right now after I’ve given away so much I probably have about 3,000 pairs. But I’ve given away more than I own
right now.”

Shoes that cost a jackpot: “I probably have about five pairs of shoes that can get $30,000 each. About three weeks ago I got a new pair of shoes in the mail, given to me that I can get $18,000 for right now. People are legitimately offering me upwards of $16,000 for these shoes already. If I was a seller, it’d be crazy.”

Franzen Wong, DJ Franzen

Favorite Las Vegas club to DJ: “Where I’ve been DJing for the last three years, and that’s Drai’s nightclub because it’s a special venue. I’m the DJ that brought hip-hop back to the strip. For a long time, it was nothing but EDM music.”

Go-to tracks: “I’m more of an old-school DJ. I play all the hits, but I like to go into my ’90s set, and I like to play for the ladies. One song I can definitely say that I will drop no matter what time of night it is — primetime, early, late when everybody is drunk  — and get the reaction I know I’ll always get is ‘No Scrubs’ by TLC.”

DJ style: “I try to dress as comfortable as possible, of course, standing up for a few hours. I’m not the type to wear a lot of flashy stuff. I wear a lot of black. I do like designer stuff, but I keep it simple. Sometimes you’ll find me in Balmain jeans, sometimes you’ll find me in Zara or H&M jeans or a pair of Levi’s. Shoes are very important to me. My favorite shoe to wear is probably the Jordan 1, the OGs with the Nike Air. I’ll wear some of the Jumpman Jordan 1s, but my favorite is probably the Breds, then the royals, the satins, the fragments. I love wearing the Air Max 97s. All the boost stuff is very, very comfortable, so I own a nice amount of Yeezys.”

Wildest Vegas DJ experience: “Too many to name. I’ve done parties for Jay-Z, Drake, Justin Bieber. We used to throw parties at the Palms called suite parties. Good vibes, good energy. I had everybody come through from Drake to Chris Brown, Fabolous, Rick Ross. But my wildest DJ experience I would probably say was DJing the Bad Boy Reunion Tour recently. I got to play Chaka Khan, Sade and a lot of the older, genuine music that a lot of the artists from the ’90s, 2000s even, sample.”

Why he loves sneakers: “My first pair of Jordans were when the Jordan 1s came out — a year after that. I’ll never forget, we went to a spot called Copeland’s in San Francisco, and my dad bought me two pairs for 45 bucks.”

Go-to Vegas shops: “CRSVR, Shoe Palace, Feature.”

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Jimmy Jazz & DJ Clark Kent Team Up For ’12 Days Of Kicks’

Aa first-ever countdown for Jimmy Jazz and DJ Clark Kent, “12 Days of Kicks”starts Sunday at 10 a.m. DJ Clark Kent – a legendary sneaker collector, DJ and record producer – has put together 12 outfits highlighted by the season’s latest and greatest sneakers leading up to Christmas.

Each pair of shoes and the outfit chosen for the day can be seen at the retailer’s Instagram account, @JimmyJazzStores. The outfits can be purchased at Jimmy Jazz stores, as well as online via a designated section of its website, jimmyjazz.com/12days.

This isn’t the first time Jimmy Jazz and DJ Clark Kent have teamed up for a special promotion. For the retailer’s 6-inch Helcor boot collaboration with Timberland last month, Jimmy Jazz announced that DJ Clark Kent will host a rap battle at Santos Party House in NYC on Dec. 11 for entrants who purchased the boots, where they’ll have a chance to win $3,000.

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