Pharrell Praises Rihanna, Virgil Abloh

The Shoe of the Year honor is the most coveted FN Achievement Award of them all — and Pharrell Williams became the newest member of this exclusive club on Wednesday night in New York.

Pharrell and Adidas took home the trophy for the Virginia Adistar Jellyfish, the designer’s biggest and boldest sneaker ever.

On the FNAA red carpet, Pharrell showed love for past recipients of the same honor, Virgil Abloh and Rihanna.

“Virgil is great, he is one of the greats. He will always be known as one of the greats,” Williams said of the late designer.

Abloh won Shoe of the Year in 2017 for his version of the Air Jordan 1 from his collection with Nike known as “The Ten,” and again posthumously in 2022 for his Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1. In addition to founding Off-White, Abloh served as artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear, and now Williams is at the helm of the men’s line as creative director.

Williams said “She’s just an innovator across the board. I love my sister and any way that I get a chance to do things with her and support her — even if it’s just a compliment. But working together, doing things, it’s my honor because her talent, her taste buds are just superior.”

Rihanna took home Shoe of the Year in 2016 for her Fenty Puma Creeper. She also won Collaboration of the Year in 2020, thanks to Fenty’s collaboration with Amina Muaddi. And the star attended the awards show last year to support her partner A$AP Rocky winning Collaboration of the Year with Puma.

For 39 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 2025 event is supported by Caleres, Listrak, Nordstrom, Skechers, Vibram and Wolverine Worldwide.