Pharrell Williams arrived at the 2025 FN Achievement Awards in New York City on Wednesday wearing the Adidas Adistar Jellyfish — the sneaker that earned him this year’s Shoe of the Year honor — giving the model a fitting moment on the event’s red carpet.
Pharrell Williams wearing his award-winning Adidas Adistar Jellyfish at the 2025 Achievement Awards red carpet.
John Nacion/WWD
His pair showed the Jellyfish’s exaggerated construction through a light beige mesh upper layered with taupe and grey TPU panels across the sides and forefoot. A black three-stripe cage framed the midfoot, with white reflective laces running over the top. The sculpted midsole appeared in cream and featured a pale blue insert along the arch, while a black outsole grounded the silhouette. The combination highlighted the dimensional profile that has defined the Jellyfish since its debut.
Williams wore the sneaker with a tan Louis Vuitton jacket and matching flared pants. He finished off the look with a pair of tortoiseshell sunglasses.
A closer look at Pharrell’s Adidas Adistar Jellyfish, which won FNAA’s 2025 Shoe of the Year award.
John Nacion
The Jellyfish’s presence at the FNAAs capped a year of sustained momentum for the model. Adidas and Williams released the sneaker in August after more than a year of anticipation, first launching it in orange before adding green, grey and blue versions through the fall. The design pulls from the archival Adistar Cushion 3 from 2005, though nearly every part of the silhouette has been enlarged. The wider midsole references jellyfish gills, and the raised TPU layers add a three-dimensional effect — a direction Williams embraced early in the process as he pushed the shoe’s proportions “way bigger.”
Pharrell Williams at the 2025 .
John Nacion/WWD
Williams, who has worked with Adidas for more than a decade, incorporated the Jellyfish into a broader Virginia project that includes apparel, digital features and themed product drops tied to his hometown. This week also brought an NYC-exclusive Triple Black Jellyfish release aligned with the Shoe of the Year honor, ahead of a wider launch slated for 2026.
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. In addition to the Shoe of the Year recognition for the Jellyfish, the ceremony honored Tommy Hilfiger with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The 2025 event is supported by Caleres, Listrak, Nordstrom, Skechers, Vibram and Wolverine Worldwide.
