{"id":656,"date":"2025-04-29T14:03:26","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T14:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/?p=656"},"modified":"2025-04-29T14:49:48","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T14:49:48","slug":"going-to-atlanta-for-404-day-felt-like-a-homecoming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/29\/going-to-atlanta-for-404-day-felt-like-a-homecoming\/","title":{"rendered":"Going To Atlanta For 404 Day Felt Like A Homecoming"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The words \u201cForever I Love Atlanta<\/a>,\u201d or FILA if you\u2019re in the know, hit a little differently for me now. I may be from Virginia, but growing up, Atlanta\u2019s influence<\/a> stretched far beyond Georgia\u2019s borders, it was everywhere<\/em>. ATL\u2019s music? Unmatched. The style? Iconic. The confidence? Contagious. Some of my favorite artists from childhood \u2014 Kelly Rowland<\/a>, Ludacris<\/a>, Usher<\/a> \u2014 either came from or were heavily influenced by Atlanta\u2019s creative energy. The city has long been the undisputed epicenter of Black culture in America. From the food to the fashion to the slang, Atlanta\u2019s impact is generational. We\u2019ve all borrowed a little ATL swag \u2014 knowingly or not. And to be honest, we should all probably have to pay the city royalties. When I found myself back in Atlanta with Adidas Originals<\/em><\/a> to celebrate 404 Day<\/a>, a hyper-local holiday named after Atlanta\u2019s OG area code, this April, I was reminded why the city has held such a special place in my heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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It wasn\u2019t until I was around 16 that I took my first trip down south to Atlanta and finally saw what the hype was about. I remember stepping off the plane and instantly clocking two things: how green<\/em> it was (like, the trees were showing off), and how unapologetically Black<\/em> it was. Both felt like a deep exhale. This big, bold, vibrant city with such a rich past made me feel instantly at home. Atlanta doesn\u2019t just welcome you, it embraces you. And 404 Day is proof of that spirit. Born from the city\u2019s deep sense of pride and community, 404 Day has become an annual love letter to all things ATL. It\u2019s a day to honor Atlanta\u2019s legacy in music, fashion, sports, and more. Think of it as a homecoming\u2014but for the culture.<\/p>\n

This year, Adidas partnered with the 404 Collective<\/em> and The Athlete\u2019s Foot<\/em><\/a>, two names that are deeply woven into the fabric of the city. The 404 Collective is the brainchild of four powerhouse Black-owned entities: Atlanta Influences Everything<\/a>, Butter ATL<\/a>, Finish First<\/a>, and the Trap Music Museum<\/a>\u2014who decided to move from working in silos to building something bigger, together.<\/p>\n

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While I may technically be a Virginia girl, every time I visit ATL, I feel like I\u2019m coming home.<\/p>\n

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I sat down with Jahi \u201cJah\u201d Rawlings,<\/a> CEO of the Atlanta Entertainment Basketball League (AEBL), Finish First Marketing Agency<\/a> and 1\/4 of The 404 Collective to talk about what makes the city and the celebration so unique. \u201cWe were all creating moments for 404 Day<\/a>, but we realized the city needed a unified front to really make an impact,\u201d said Jah. \u201cWe didn\u2019t just want a party. We wanted to open doors, give back, and make sure people who might be overlooked got their shot.\u201d That mentality led to events like the inaugural 404 Day parade where thousands of people showed up to march and the upcoming launch of the 404 Festival, a multi-day cultural event set to rival Dreamville<\/a> and One Music Fest<\/a>. \u201cThe next five years, Atlanta\u2019s going to be the focal point of the country,\u201d Jah told me. \u201cSo we\u2019re building something that reflects that.\u201d<\/p>\n

That \u201csomething\u201d extends to streetwear and sneaker culture too. \u201cAtlanta doesn\u2019t always get the recognition, but our youth are trendsetters,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re not just following anymore, they\u2019re creating the culture, and the brands are starting to listen.\u201d<\/p>\n

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I also had the opportunity to talk to Darrius Billings<\/a>, Director of Marketing at The Athlete\u2019s Foot (and fellow Howard alum\u2014HU, you know!). The Athlete\u2019s Foot, which has been rooted in Atlanta since 1985, teamed up with the 404 Collective and Adidas to design a sneaker that pays tribute to the city\u2019s soul.\u201cAtlanta is Hollywood and it\u2019s hood,\u201d he told me. \u201cSo when we designed the Adidas x 404 sneaker collab<\/a>, we wanted it to reflect both sides.\u201d The final design is a masterclass in symbolism; from luxe red bottoms nodding to fashion culture, to a peach gold grill detail on the tongue, to a sock liner featuring Atlanta\u2019s iconic zone map.<\/p>\n

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And it\u2019s not just the shoes that speak volumes. \u201cThe Athlete\u2019s Foot<\/a> has been in Atlanta since 1985,\u201d Darrius shared. \u201cOur stores are built to be more than places to buy sneakers\u2014we host tutoring, community talks, even open mic events. We want people to feel like they belong.\u201d That local-first model is what sets them apart; franchisees aren\u2019t just store owners, they\u2019re community members. So when Adidas wanted to create a shoe rooted in Atlanta\u2019s soul, it made perfect sense to tap Darrius and the 404 Collective to lead it.<\/p>\n

Darrius also emphasized the importance of visibility and access in the sneaker industry. As the Atlanta lead for Black Footwear Forum<\/a>, he\u2019s helping pave the way for more Black creatives to enter every part of the footwear business, not just design. \u201cIf you don\u2019t know, you just don\u2019t know,\u201d he said. \u201cSo we break it down. Marketing, legal, operations, there\u2019s space for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Between Jah and Darrius, it\u2019s clear 404 Day isn\u2019t just a date on the calendar\u2014it\u2019s a movement. A reclamation. A call to action for the culture, by the culture. And being a part of it reminded me why Atlanta has always been more than a city. It\u2019s a vibe. A blueprint. A heartbeat. And while I may technically be a Virginia girl, every time I visit ATL, I feel like I\u2019m coming home.<\/p>\n

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Black & Unbothered In Kentucky: Bourbon & Soccer<\/a><\/p>\n

Black & Unbothered in Accra, Ghana<\/a><\/p>\n

Black & Unbothered In Rainy Miami<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The words \u201cForever I Love Atlanta,\u201d or FILA if you\u2019re in the know, hit a little differently for me now. I may be from Virginia, but growing up, Atlanta\u2019s influence stretched far beyond Georgia\u2019s borders, it was everywhere. ATL\u2019s music? Unmatched. The style? Iconic. The confidence? Contagious. Some of my favorite artists from childhood \u2014…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":658,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[14],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=656"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":664,"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/656\/revisions\/664"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/homestac.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}