In a recent interview with GQ, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins discussed his bizarre wardrobe choices and how the ideas behind his costuming came into being.
Rollins also clarified how some of his quirky shoe choices came about.
You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On the initial inspirations for his change in fashion: “Honestly, the main inspiration for the style wasn’t wrestling related. I looked at Hollywood. I looked at rock stars and movie stars and red carpet looks, and I said, “That’s eventually what I want to get to.” Machine Gun Kelly was actually the first one that jumped off the page—not because I loved his style so much, but because it was so ridiculous. It was so hateable, it was so obnoxious. He just looked absurd, but he owned it. Machine Gun Kelly’s got a lot of confidence. He’s got a lot of presence, obviously. And so I was like, I think there’s something there. Nobody in the male demographic [of WWE] is touching on this. Let’s see what happens as we evolve.”
On the advent of the Big Red Boots: “The first time I’d even heard about the Big Red Boots was the day I wore them. Troi shows up at my hotel in Brooklyn and pulls out this giant bag. And I’m wondering, What could this be? Does he have a new jacket for me? What’s going on? Then he pulls out these Mario-looking red boots and I’m going, ‘What? How? Can I walk? What is the functionality? What is this?’ He was like, ‘Nah, dog. These are so hot right now. These are the It thing. They’re the shoe of the moment. You got to wear them tonight.’ So I’m like, ‘All right, I’ll put them on. I mean, whatever.’ And, as you know, that thing took off like wildfire. The brand got a lot of traction off me wearing those the first time, so they were kind enough to send me some of the backwards shoes and then the Crocs boots early. I think, like you said, it’s just a beautiful synergy [with MSCHF] because our mission statements are very aligned: We’re both trying to steal the show.”
On how the various footwear meshes with his in-ring work: “Shockingly, they’re quite comfortable and functional. They feel like regular shoes when they’re on, but they give you an added bit of stability because there’s so much extra on the sides. There’s no wobble. I mean, if you were to miss a step, it’s game over. The risk-reward ratio is high. But for me, as a seasoned athlete, once I got moving around in them a little bit, I felt pretty good. And I like them, man. They give me kind of a bigger target space. It’s like shooting buckshot. I get a wider net to cast, so to speak, when I’m aiming for somebody’s head.”
