50 Cent and Reebok bring back G-Unit G6 sneaker after 23 years

MUMBAI: The G6 is ready to take flight again. More than two decades after it first stepped into the sneaker spotlight, 50 Cent and Reebok are reviving the G-Unit G6, bringing back one of the rapper’s defining footwear collaborations as hip-hop nostalgia finds a fresh pair of laces.

Originally launched in 2003, the G6 returns on August 20, 2026, at 10 a.m. ET through Reebok.com and select retailers. Priced at an MSRP of $130, the retro sneaker comes in its original red, white and blue colourway and will be available in unisex sizes 3.5 to 13, plus size 14.

The timing takes the sneaker back to a pivotal moment in 50 Cent’s career. The G6 arrived as the rapper was riding the blockbuster success of his multi-platinum debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin’, with the low-top design combining a court-inspired silhouette with G-Unit branding.

Its original production run quickly sold out in key markets, underlining the crossover pull of a hip-hop star whose influence was extending well beyond music.

For 50 Cent, now 51, the return is also a trip back to a formative chapter in his career. “The G-Unit sneaker represents a special time in my career and in hip-hop.”

He said the collaboration had made a lasting mark on sneaker culture and that its return would connect with both the fans who experienced the original release and a new generation.

The G6 was the flagship of 50 Cent’s relationship with Reebok, which began in 2003 with a long-term agreement centred on the G-Unit Collection by RBK. The deal was subsequently reported as a five-year arrangement, with Reebok licensing the G-Unit sneaker line.

Forbes reported that Reebok paid $20 million for the licensing deal, placing the collaboration among the more notable early examples of hip-hop’s growing influence on mainstream footwear.

The G6 was later joined by models including the G XT cross-trainer and G-Unit Boot, extending the partnership beyond the original silhouette.

Reebok CEO Todd Krinsky said the relationship with 50 Cent went beyond footwear, describing the collaboration as an important chapter in the company’s history and one that left a lasting imprint on sport, style and culture.

The G6’s original arrival also came during a period when hip-hop artists were becoming increasingly influential players in the sneaker business.

In 2003, Jay-Z launched his Reebok S. Carter sneaker, highlighting how rappers were increasingly moving from endorsing products to helping shape footwear lines and their cultural identity.

More than 20 years later, Reebok and 50 Cent are betting that the G6 still has enough cultural mileage to make another run, this time with nostalgia riding shotgun.