Did a Minnesota company make Usher's Super Bowl halftime show roller skates? Yeah!
Updated: 12:55 p.m.
A Minnesota company got some time in the spotlight before the global audience of Sunday night’s Super Bowl, when halftime performer Usher rolled onto the stage in a pair of Riedell roller skates.
“We did that,” the Red Wing-based company posted on social media soon after the show, along with photos of the black-and-blue skates.
The R&B singer and his backup dancers did a two-song medley on wheels, skating through a roller dance routine. It was part of an elaborate 13-minute set, complete with surprise, big-name cameos including Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Jermaine Dupri, Lil Jon and Ludacris.
Usher’s skates are a new design from Riedell. The R&B star collaborated with the company to make the Flipper’s World Quadz, a high-ankled boot with laces and Velcro straps.
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Riedell had spotted Usher at a rink in its skates before — besides crafting pop hits for several decades, he’s also a roller skater.
“I am proud of the best-in-class craftsmanship that brought this vision, a truly vibrant and unique skate, to life,” Riedell CEO Bob Riegelman said in a statement. “It is exciting both for us and for skaters on the rink.”
The design is up for sale on the much pricier end for a pair of skates: They’ll set you back $1,450.
Riedell, which has been around since the 1940s, makes several lines of ice and roller skates. Its usual designs range from affordable beginner skates to professional and fashion styles. The company has been tapped to design custom footwear for Olympic figure skaters.