The Kicks You Wear, Vol. 358 — Don't believe the hype 💯
We don't know what's real and what's not these days
Gooooood morning, folks! Welcome back to the Kicks You Wear! Thank you so much for rocking with me today! Appreciate you taking the time!
Took that L on the Nina Chanel joints 😭. My whole timeline was going after em. It felt like 2021 again for a sec there. Speaking of horrible drops…
POLL RESULTS: A total of 66 of you voted in the poll about the Action Bronson drop! Thanks for your votes. A whopping 85 percent of you said it was horrible. I feel you.
Let’s jump in.
What’s real and what’s not?
Can anybody tell me whether we’re actually getting a “Flu Game” Air Jordan 12 drop in 2025? Because, at this point, I’m lost, folks.
The timeline: This whole thing has been an exercise in confusion. Here’s a look at all the information that has been shared with us so far via Nice Kicks.
First, the Flu Game 12 release date was leaked in April with a drop date scheduled for 2025.
A few weeks later that drop was reportedly canceled and replaced with the Air Jordan 12 “Bloodline” we were supposed to get in January 2025. OK. Cool. Whatever.
Earlier this week, that Bloodline drop was reportedly canceled and the Flu Game 12 drop is supposedly back on for 2025.
So, I guess we’re getting the Flu Games next year? I think. Or maybe we’re not. I don’t know.
But still: As a consumer, this is extremely annoying. To be frank, it’s why I tend not to take these reports very seriously — even when it’s a sneaker I’m excited about.
These release dates are fickle. None of this is official — a brand can change its plans at the drop of a dime, as we’re clearly seeing right now with these 12s.
That’s especially the case here, with sneakers reportedly being released in 2025. Even without a specific release date, that’s still six months away.
That’s why it’s important to take any news about release dates or even first looks with a grain of salt.
Let’s be honest: Very few resources in the sneaker world have any journalistic know-how. They take leaks at face value and push them out without clarification or vetting. The information gets pushed out and that turns into clicks.
That’s not to say that these accounts and sneaker blogs are necessarily wrong for doing this. If you have legitimate information, then it’s fine to report it. But, going back to the Flu Game 12 example, there were so many changes here without any further information as to why or what’s happening on the back end, which is exactly why it’s so hard to trust any of this.
Between the lines: That’s especially the case for Nike and Jordan brand. They’re making so many changes to their lineup in 2024 as is — thinking about anything in 2025 feels like an exercise in futility.
The big picture: In the grand scheme, I think we should honestly ask ourselves what the point of any of these leaks is in the first place.
I mean, yeah, it’s nice to know when a shoe you really want is coming down the line. But if that shoe is coming in 2025 or beyond, how much does it really matter? Why is this information being put out there and who does it really serve?
There are only two answers to that question:
The blogs who get the information out early and reap the growth in audience on the backend.
And the brands who get to capitalize off of the hype of a sneaker coming soon.
For us as consumers, it doesn’t do much but manipulate us at this point. Yet, we continue to fall for the same trip hook, line and sinker.
Let’s be better moving forward, folks.
Beating the leaks
Speaking of leaks, Salehe Bembury showed us a pretty unique way of getting ahead of them this week.
What happened: Images of an upcoming Salehe New Balance 530 leaked on Instagram Wednesday afternoon.
Y’all know the deal with leaks. They never tell you the story of a product — it’s usually just some grainy cell phone image that looks like it came off a 2003 Motorola Razr. Visually, it’s always a turnoff.
So Salehe got around it. Instead of allowing that to be the visual, he posted a picture of a sample 530 to show off following the leak.
This is smart: Bembury keeps sample photos of his drops in case leaks like this happen. It’s a simple strategy but smart, keeping the product's narrative in the creator’s hands.
I think we’ll see a lot more of it moving forward as leaks continue to stretch further down the road.
On a much bigger scale, we saw Nike do this with its release calendar at the tail end of last year when it did that launch preview in October.
Creators out there, take notes. This is really smart stuff.
Everything is Nike SB
Nike SB seems to have its fingerprints on a lot over at the Swoosh these days.
What’s happening: Reports have surfaced about a few non-traditional skater shoes being, uh, let’s call it SB-ified over the next year or so.
The Neon Green Air Max 95 is being morphed into a Nike SB sneaker for its 30th anniversary, Complex reports.
There’s also reportedly a Nike SB x Air Force 1 coming sometime in 2025, according to Hypebeast.
The Nike SB x Jordan 4 model was already completely remade with different materials and an altered fit.
There’s even Nike SB cocaine now!!!
Okay, that last one isn’t a thing, but you get it. Nike SB is imprinted on a lot these days at the Swoosh.
I dig it a lot.
Here’s why: The Nike SB makeover makes these sneakers a bit more interesting. It gives OG models a new life and a new purpose. Plus, it’s made some of those models a bit more comfortable for wear.
The big deal: As we discussed last week, innovation involves more than just hot new models. It also involves reshaping what you already have. The SB-ification of these classics fall into that category for me.
Welcome back to the 992
Here’s a welcome sight for all the New Balance dorks like myself. We’re about to get the 992 back, courtesy of Teddy Santis.
What happened: Aimé Leon Dore’s head man posted this image on Instagram Wednesday.
What you’re seeing: This looks like a never-before-seen colorway of the New Balance 992.
It almost looks like the Series Yellow colorway that was released back in 2020, but the overlays are black here instead of grey
Santis often uses his Instagram to preview upcoming models, but this picture doesn’t necessarily confirm anything. This could be an upcoming Made in USA colorway from Santis. It could also be an Aimé Leon Dore collab or, quite possibly, just another sample he was excited to show off.
Why this is a big deal: The 992 was discontinued in 2010, and after a quick run from 2020 to 2022, the fan-favorite model has disappeared again.
If Santis is bringing it back? Whew boy. I’m locked in.
#TheKicksWeWear
LET’S GET ITTTTTT!!!!!!
First, the homie Gray Beard popped out in the Military Blue 4s. I can’t believe people were hating on these, man.
Then the homie Vasilios came through with the Bordeaux 1s on deck. Love these joints yo. And they worn, too! Wear your shoes, folks!
My guy Jaden came through with ALL the AJ 13s for his annual #13sfor13 challenge! Love to see it.
The homie Bry came through with the Flyknit 3s and, MAN, bring back Flyknit Jordans. These were fun!
The homie Diamond came through with the DMV classic Air Total Max Uptempos. I NEED ANOTHER PAIR.
And then the homie Dallas closed us out with the White Cement AJ3s. Man. It don’t get much better than this, folks.
SMOKED IT. Good stuff, y’all. Flyest community out there.
That’s a wrap, folks! Thanks so much for rocking with me today! Appreciate you giving me a bit of your time. Have a fantastic weekend.
Until next time. Peace and love. Be easy, be safe, be kind. We out.
-Sykes 💯