When you think of sneaker culture, you immediately think of standing out, looking fresh, and making a statement. But for prominent Twitch streamer Raud, his latest partnership is about making a statement that goes far deeper than just the clothes on his back.
Stepping into the spotlight as the face and voice of the new Adidas x SNIPES Be Loved campaign, Raud is leading a powerful conversation around self-love, individuality, and a topic that is often overlooked in streetwear spaces: men’s mental health.
The campaign centers on encouraging men to stand out boldly and celebrate their individuality, anchored by a striking new sneaker release. The Adistar Control 5 arrives in a vibrant palette of red, pink, and purple, colors deliberately chosen to evoke early spring and tulips in bloom.
For Raud, the shoe itself is a standout piece that dropped on March 27. Beyond the vibrant colorway, he was immediately drawn to its unique texture and construction.
“I’m going to just keep talking about the materials, materials on the laces, the material on the side,” he shared on set of the campaign photo shoot set. “They got like a little suede going on. They got like a little fur on the side and for it to represent like men’s confidence and health.” He added that the brands completely “aced it” with the design.
While the sneaker breaks the norm aesthetically, the campaign’s true mission is reinforcing the message that confidence and care for yourself naturally extend outward. This is a mission that Raud, a top 15 streamer on Twitch, takes personally.
As a public figure who has been creating content for over six years, he is no stranger to the pressures of the internet. “I deal with backlash, criticism, multiple opinions.” Coming from Philadelphia, a city where he notes it can be “hard to succeed,” protecting his peace is a priority.
“Mental health is real important because I spend so much time putting, imagine putting your all into an idea and people say [it’s up]. And then you keep getting hit with that, or you get hit with a pain, or a comment. It’s like men or women, that’s going to hurt you,” Raud explained.
He shared that men are often told to “take it, man up,” which is why he is so passionate about this Adidas and SNIPES collaboration pushing for mental health awareness. For Raud, the goal is simple but profound: “I’m making it cool to be healthy.”
At the core of the Be Loved campaign is true confidence. When asked what confidence means to him, Raud’s answer was straightforward. “To me, it means to truly just be yourself at all times, no matter what or who’s in the room or what’s going on, honestly.”
This authenticity is the exact advice he offers to upcoming creators who might be struggling with the mental fatigue of trying to build an audience. Trying to imitate others instead of being yourself is a fast track to mental strain, he warns. “If you be yourself, it’s easier to jump those hurdles.”
The partnership with SNIPES feels like a full-circle moment for the streamer, who grew up with the retailer right in his neighborhood. “For them to hit me up and for me to be the person to represent this and the message behind it, it means everything to me.”
