Good morning, family! The Kicks You Wear is back. Thank you so much for rocking with your boy today.
Hope you had a fantastic week and are headed into an even better weekend.
Let’s run it.
Nike has got to put its money where its mouth is
This post has been updated and corrected to reflect that Nike has not submitted its EEO-1 data yet because it is not due yet. The submission date is at the end of October.
Look, Nike has done some solid work in the way of creating a culture of diversity and inclusion within its company. But there’s also a lot of work left to be done.
They missed a big opportunity to do some of it this week.
The skinny: Shareholders rejected a resolution on Wednesday at the company’s annual meeting that would’ve added a ton of transparency to its hiring practices, Footwear News’ Shoshy Ciment reports.
The resolution, proposed by corporate watchdog Whistle Stop Capital, would’ve required the company to publish an annual report on DEI initiatives through its EEO-1 data.
That report would’ve given us a window into how the board has progressed on those initiatives and how Nike, itself, actually measures that progress.
Instead, here we are. The resolution did not pass.
Here’s why: The company doesn’t believe it needs to make its EEO-1 data publicly available because it publishes its own impact reports every year. You’ve seen the details from some of those reports in this newsletter.
And while it’s good — as the immortal hip hop laureate Jadakiss once said — it’s not enough.
Yes, Nike’s Impact reports disclose to us info like what percentage of the company is female or what percentage year over year is Black. And that’s cool.
But it doesn’t give us promotion data. It doesn’t mention retention rates. It doesn’t mention details on diversity efforts.
It also doesn’t give us the methodology for the report and doesn’t allow us to compare it to other companies.
The other side: Nike is standing by its impact report, though, and they also explained why they don’t use EEO-1 data. Here’s a statement from the company.
NIKE has also committed to disclose the Federal Employer Information Report EEO-1 Data beginning with data for 2021. Because it is outdated at the time it is due, we do not use the EEO-1 Data to measure progress. The EEO-1 Data will be available on the Company’s website. Nike’s quantitative 2025 Targets related to diversity can be found on page 68 of our FY20 Nike Impact Report.
Still, this is disappointing. It also undermines the other things Nike has done. The public knowing these processes is important for full transparency. And if you’re actually walking the walk, then there’s absolutely nothing here to hide. Providing this information shouldn’t be a problem at all.
It’s also something Nike said it would actually do in 2021, though, clearly, they haven’t followed through.
CORRECTION: Nike could still follow through on that promise. Their EEO-1 submission date has been pushed back to the end of October, per a company statement to The Kicks You Wear, and may still be submitted.
Here’s the point: There are some companies who talk the talk about DEI but never walk it. Nike doesn’t want to be one of those companies.
But that’s exactly what sort of move this feels like. And that’s not good.
Yeezy basketball has a stage now
Kanye West has always wanted to dive into basketball with the Yeezy brand. That stretches back years ago to when the QNTM was first in development. Nothing has ever quite stuck on the court, though.
The QNTM has been on an NBA floor twice — once in an All-Star game and once in a regular-season game on Andre Iguodala.
That might change soon, though. Yeezy might have a stage. I don’t know if you heard, but Kanye has apparently put together a prep school.
West’s Donda Academy — a tuition-free private school named after his late mother Donda West — is currently accepting students from grades K-12. It’ll start off with 60 students total. Part of that 60 will be a prep school basketball team.
Four top-flight high school recruits have already announced they’re attending the school. Aside from being sort of weird and giving me big Bishop Sycamore vibes, this feels like a pretty big deal for Ye’s basketball ambitions.
Here’s why:
This gives Yeezy and West a space to not only test new product but also showcase it.
There’s obviously a direct line between Kanye and Donda Academy. The school also has already inked a partnership with Adidas.
West’s shoes haven’t hit the NBA. They haven’t even hit college hoop. But he runs his own school now. He can have Donda Academy’s Fighting Crusaders (totally made that nickname up just now) suit up in Yeezy from head to toe.
Just pray for those kids. Ain’t nothing really wrong with them — they just might gotta step out in these.
Yikes.
Nike just created the sneaker police
We know Nike is clamping down on fakes, counterfeits, customizations and anything that falls under the umbrella of a shoe that didn’t come directly from Nike.
But, uh, I ain’t know they were clamping down this hard.
The details: Nike is hiring what they’re calling a “grey market analyst.” This is a person who would “Identify problematic unauthorized sellers, legally trace their sources…and log evidence into a case management system.”
THE SNEAKER POLICE. Complex’s Brendan Dunne tweeted the listing here.
This isn’t a bad thing, necessarily. Fakes and unauthorized sneakers need to be cracked down on. And if this helps in doing that, great!
The other side: But I also continue to wonder what this means for customizers out there and folks like John Geiger, who has built a legitimate brand behind a slightly similar design as Nike’s.
As more details and more positions come out, we’ll learn more about their intentions.
Can I stay at the LeBron James Innovation Center? Plz?
The legendary LeBron James Innovation Center Nike has been working on for years now is finally done.
And, well, it looks legendary. Like, there’s nothing it doesn’t have.
A full basketball court, a 84,000 square foot Nike Sport Research Lab, a motion capture system, an incline training ramp, a food court. OK. I’m not sure about that last one. But I’m 70% sure there’s a food court in there.
Point is, this joint has everything. I need to see this at least one time in my life. It looks incredible.
#TheKicksWeWear
The homie CJT started us off hot with pops coming out in the Light Fusions. A1 thievery.
Then Greer rolled through with the Air Max Plus. So underrated, y’all.
The homie Shy came through fly as ever in these icy AJ6’s. WHEW these are great.
My guy Dandin popped out with the OG Heat in these beat up Bred 4’s from 2012. This is a real vintage sneaker, y’all.
My guy Mitch popped out in the Bodega 990v3 and I still cannot get enough of this shoe. Wow.
The homie Matt came through with this excellent Nike By You AM90 design courtesy of his kids. This is awesome.
The homie Didi popped out in MY SNEAKER OF THE YEAR. Sheesh, man.
Then my guy Brett came through clean as ever in these Sacais. These are sick, man.
And then the homie Smarty Jones took us home with the Rogue Green Galaxy Dunks. SO GOOD y’all. WTF.
SMOKED IT.
Thank y’all so much for rocking with your boy today. I appreciate y’all for continuing to come back here. I wish you knew how much you mean to me.
Let’s talk again on Monday. Til then, peace and love. Be easy. Be safe. Be kind. We out.
-Sykes 💯