Jelly Roll On Partnering With Hey Dude, Fielding Shoe Requests from Luke Bryan and the Importance of ‘Second Chances’

Jelly Roll may be new to the world of shoe partnerships, but it’s safe to say that his collaboration with Hey Dude has thus far proven itself to be a match made in heaven. The first footwear style inspired by the genre-bending musician dropped in October, followed by a second design in March — and both sold out in remarkable time.

With his redesigns of HeyDude’s Wally style turning out to be instant hits, some fans were left empty handed — but if there’s one thing Jelly Roll believes in, it’s second chances. As of April 29, the second shoe from their partnership, the Jelly Roll x Hey Dude Suede Debossed Shoe featuring “tattoo” detailing, will be shoppable again.

This “Second Chances” drop will come on the heels of Jelly Roll headlining Stagecoach Festival in California this weekend — which takes place during his tenure as the first ever Artist in Residence for “American Idol.” Amid his busy schedule, the musician had time to answer questions via email for Footwear News about his Hey Dude collaboration.

As to why he wanted to partner with the comfort-focus footwear brand owned by Crocs Inc., which also counts Sydney Sweeney as an ambassador, Jelly Roll said, “I was a fan of the brand, of the comfort of the shoe and the accessibility in terms of affordability. When we first started talking about the potential to go ahead and partner in an official way, their enthusiasm for any creative input I had just made me go, yeah, these were the absolute right people to get to partner with.”

Reflecting on the eager reaction to his shoe releases, the musician said, “I appreciate it. When you put so much time and love and energy into something you hope people see that, and this is a new area for me, admittedly. I — spoiler alert — did not have my own shoe partnership before and so going into it all you can do is know you’re going to put a lot into it and hope that effort resonates. Just being honest about what we wanted to do and make sure it was what we wanted it to be and represent.”

The artist went on, “Similar to when I write, you may not know what you’re going to get at the end but you just try and be as honest about the process and that moment and hope the result is what its supposed to be. The reception is, for real though, very humbling. We’re proud to be able to do another run of them with Hey Dude.”

A true fan of the styles, he’s committed to wearing the shoes wherever he may be going, from Coachella to Stagecoach: “They are the on the move shoes — from rehearsal, to and from the gym, to the stage, award shows, all of it.”

Jelly Roll wasn’t afraid to get personal when it came time to figure out the designs for his HeyDudes. The artist is known for his tattoos, and he decided to incorporate that into his second footwear drop: nods to his personal life can be found on the debossed shoe, including the name of his son, Noah.

“Design wise, I wanted to showcase replicas of tattoos that I have that reflect moments that have shaped my life or represent something more than just surface level,” Jelly Roll said. “Hey Dude also understood my desire to keep this at a price point that was accessible. I grew up where it was a big deal to get a new pair of shoes financially.”

He also found he was allowed artistic freedom in the footwear design process: “The Hey Dude team there was really receptive to the idea of the design and even the way we wanted to incorporate the fabric and the texture, which was something we appreciated. We wanted it to be something that was different than anything we had done before.”

Since joining “American Idol” as a mentor to the Season 23 contestants, Jelly Roll has become something of a fashion influencer on the singing competition show.

Asked if he’s told people on “American Idol” about Hey Dude, he responded, “They see me in them. And they’ve asked me for pairs! The first run sold out so fast that I didn’t know how to tell people — I am not even sure if I can get them anymore. Luke [Bryan] keeps asking me though so I have to make sure he gets a pair the second time around, but luckily with the second chances drop, fans can shop beginning on April 29!”

Jelly Roll, who’s transformed his life from being in and out of jail to headlining festivals and motivating others with his story, finds incredible value in the idea of “second chances.”

He shared, “Second chances are something that I think people can see I believe in because I walk into rooms or on stages every day where the ability to believe in or be a part of second chances is life changing. Let me say that again. Life. Changing.”