Iconic moments from the Footwear News Achievement Awards 2024: Rihanna, A$AP Rocky and the stars who stole the show

For 38 years, the annual Footwear News Achievement Awards (FNAA), known as the 'Oscars of Shoes', have celebrated styles, compelling brand stories, dedicated philanthropists, emerging talent and seasoned industry leaders.

On December 4, 2024, in New York, the star-studded red carpet and gala honored Kenneth Cole with the Lifetime Achievement Award, Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden as Person of the Year and New Balance as Company of the Year, among others. .

The evening was full of joy, appreciation and a touch of drama. Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden fired up the crowd with a light jab at Nike while accepting the 2024 FN Achievement Person of the Year award.

“Like I said last year when Nike was here — they're not here this year, which is funny. It was a joke, it was a joke,” he quipped during his speech.

As the night unfolded, memorable moments like this continued to make FNAA 2024 an event to remember. Here are the five best moments from the night.

Rihanna's surprise appearance

Rihanna attended the 2024 FNAA to support her partner, A$AP Rocky, who was honored along with Puma as Partner of the Year. She graced the red carpet in a white dress paired with matching white gladiator sandals, turning heads with her effortless style.

It's inspiring to see the couple constantly push each other to be the best versions of themselves. Rihanna, who previously won Puma Shoe of the Year in 2016 for her Puma Fenty Creeper, has now passed the torch to Rocky, who is following in her stylish footsteps.

As one of entertainment's favorite couples, Rocky and Rihanna were photographed together on the carpet, chatting about their children, their relationship and the seamless connection between music and fashion.

Throughout the evening, Rihanna was a constant presence, cheering Rocky on from the backstage and allowing him to enjoy his moment. She was the ultimate supportive cheerleader, making sure he got the flowers he deserved.

Law Roach presents the On With Brand of the Year Award

Law Roach had the opportunity to present the Brand of the Year award to Trailblazing Brand On, bringing his trademark humor to the stage. “Why is the brilliant Law Roach – someone who has never run a marathon and has no intention of running – presenting an award to a sportswear brand?” he mused, eliciting laughs from the crowd.

Before Roach took the stage, he played a promotional video, featuring the Swiss brand and its collaboration with the multi-syllabic Zendaya, along with other athletes who wear and run in On sneakers.

Zendaya, a Billboard Hot 100 artist, introduced Roach to the brand, sharing, “Zendaya, my muse, who is now their brand partner as they create inspiring campaigns that combine community, movement and storytelling.”

Roach's collaboration with Zendaya began in 2011 and is now credited as the architect of her red carpet style. Their close relationship enhances the authenticity of his role in presenting On with the prestigious award.

Known for its innovative designs and high-performance footwear, On has gained wide appeal in both the athletic community and fashion-forward individuals. Its ability to seamlessly blend function with style has made it a distinct brand, especially in a footwear space traditionally dominated by older, more established companies.

Angel Reese gets honest

One of the best moments of the night came when Chicago Sky forward and WNBA All-Star Angel Reese took the stage to accept the award for Style Influencer of the Year. While Reese is often seen at her best, that night, she decided to be vulnerable with the room full of style stars, footwear icons and industry veterans.

“I'm 22 years old, still figuring life out, but this is just the beginning,” she shared. She went on to explain that her first sneaker with Reebok would be released in 2026.

Reese took a moment to thank her family and team for their unwavering support, as well as her army of fans, “Reese's Pieces” and Reebok for helping make her dreams come true.

“I want to give a huge shout out to Reebok for just believing in me and making my visions come to life. Everything I ever wanted with them—and continue to do with them—my dreams have already come true. They gave me the platform to be myself, unapologetically myself, and I love that.”

Snoop Dogg surprises Martha Stewart with Icon Award presentation

Martha Stewart was honored with the Icon Award, but little did the room know, it would lead to the surprise of two icons at once. To everyone's surprise, a video started playing and it was none other than Snoop Dogg himself introducing his good friend Martha Stewart as the recipient of the 2024 Icon Award.

“My friend Martha Stewart is the ultimate boss,” Snoop began, sitting back in his The Voice chair. “She is an amazing footwear ambassador for the brand, expanding it for women along with her empire.” She continued, “Now it's my honor to present my friend, the one and only, diva, Martha Stewart with the Footwear News Icon Award.”

Martha took the stage and shared a story about asking Siri what an icon is. Siri replied, “A small image on the screen that represents an app, file, or folder, on a computer or other device,” she read aloud. Martha jokingly expressed confusion about what kind of award she was getting, drawing laughter from the crowd. Her speech was wholesome and funny, and the audience loved every moment of it.

A$AP Rocky Accepts Collaboration of the Year

A$AP Rocky is truly one of a kind. Only he could “talk a lot about st” while still giving everyone who deserves it their flowers.

“Hey, that's crazy,” he began. “At first, I just wanted to come on here and talk a lot about how lit, how beautiful I am, how we're the best, but honestly, I'm very humbled by this whole experience. I would rather speak from the heart and be honest.”

We knew it was going to be a great night when he was introduced by Emory Jones, Head of Lifestyle at Roc Nation and co-founder of clothing brand Paper Planes.

Pretty Flacko's speech was heartfelt and he described the honor as “one of the best achievements ever.” He then gave a shout out to his lady, Rihanna, who was also honored by FN in 2016. “I was inspired, I saw my lady receive this thing almost a decade ago.” This was definitely a full circle moment for the couple.