The Kicks You Wear, Vol. 241 — ⚖️ All's well that ends well
John Geiger and the GF-01 just won big
Goooood morning, family. Welcome back to the Kicks You Wear. Thank you so much for rocking with me today. I really appreciate you.
HOUSEKEEPING: Hope y’all are ready for a fantastic Labor Day weekend! No KYW on Monday in recognition of the holiday, but we’ll definitely be rocking next Friday.
Let’s dive in.
The GF-01 is still standing
After essentially a year of litigation finally have a resolution with Nike’s lawsuit against John Geiger.
The latest: Geiger dropped a post on Tuesday announcing that he and Nike settled the lawsuit related to his GF-01 sneaker and its alleged violations of the Air Force 1’s trade dress.
“The lawsuit has been resolved through an amicable resolution that includes a consent judgement. As part of the resolution, John Geiger has agreed to modify the design of his GF-01 shoes. Nike respects John Geiger as a designer and other designers like him, and both parties are pleased to resolve this dispute in a way that allows John Geiger to continue his brand while also respecting Nike’s intellectual property rights in its iconic Air Force 1 trade dress.”
There are a lot of key points hit there.
As part of the agreement, Geiger has to “modify” the design of the GF-01.
Specifics about the modification haven’t been revealed, per Nice Kicks.
My takeaway: This settlement feels like a pretty big win for Geiger and company.
It’s something Geiger’s lawyer and Sneaker Law author Kenneth Anand told me back in April was a possibility if it “makes sense for both parties.” Now here they are with a consent agreement.
“Yes, but” is what you’re probably saying because of the modification required here. And that’s a fair point. But just look at our surrounding context.
Nike has come down hard on customizers and individual creators over the last year if their products even remotely resemble a Nike offering.
Usually, they look to halt production completely. Look at Warren Lotas. Look at MSCHF.
That didn’t happen to Geiger. The GF-01 might be modified in some way both sides have agreed to. But it still exists. That’s not something we’re usually able to say after litigation like this.
This is good. It’s nice to see the little guy get a win for once. Customization and creativity have been at the center of sneaker culture for decades from the days of Dapper Dan up until now. Preserving that is important. This case goes a long way in doing that.
What’s next: We’ll be sure to see that modification down the line at some point with the GF-01. In the meantime, Geiger has a shoe coming out today.
Seems like business as usual.
Kanye’s best laid plans
We don’t know if Kanye West is actually going to leave Adidas come 2026 when his deal is up (or maybe sooner if he keeps ranting about how terrible Adidas is).
But if he does leave…he just told us exactly what he’s going to do.
What happened: In a since-deleted post on Instagram, while ripping both Adidas and Gap, West mentioned plans to actually open Yeezy exclusive stores across the globe, starting with one in Atlanta.
Here’s what he said:
We are going to open a Yeezy Stores world wide starting in Atlanta. Who would be best to open it? I’ll buy the land and/or building. Then we gonna open up in every state and then internationally.
Then he started asking people to make pitches to him in the comments and things got kind of messy from there. But you get the point. Kanye wants Yeezy stores — or, at least, it seems that way, anyway.
Let’s be real: Kanye West is chaos. We can only take his Instagram posts but so seriously. The concept he floats here is interesting, though.
The question: We’ve never seen an independent Yeezy before. What does that look like?
Independent Yeezy means Kanye is creating, manufacturing, marketing and selling clothing and sneakers all on his own.
This means no Adidas boost material in the sneakers. It probably means less overall production, too. And more expensive prices.
On the other hand, it also might mean more independent Ye clothing and drops with less restrictions.
The more we talk about this, the more I actually want to see it happen. Just to see what it actually looks like. With the way his IG is going? I might get my wish sooner rather than later.
THE CORN KID IS DOING SNEAKERS NOW
In things we absolutely love to see, here is Tariq, the corn kid from Recess Therapy, doing an ad read for Mache’s “Maize” runner shoe.
I love this: This kid is getting the bag, man. And not in an exploitative way, either like we’ve seen with so many other Black personalities that go viral on the internet. The Atlantic’s Kaitlyn Tiffany explains.
So far, Tariq’s story hasn’t taken any of the dark turns internet-culture observers have come to expect. According to Shapiro-Barnum, Tariq and his family are getting a cut of the profits from the musical remix, and Recess Therapy is protecting Tariq’s identity by not sharing his last name. He has not been doing interviews or television appearances, and his family declined to comment for this story. Shapiro-Barnum is conscientious about how his work may affect the children he interviews and removes any content that a parent ultimately decides against having online.
That’s perfect. I’m going to go stream the corn song now just for him. Keep the party going.
My obsession: Look at what I did to my Paisley Dunks
So my producers Evan and Jonelle definitely bullied me into finally bleaching my Paisley Dunks this week. I was absolutely terrified, but I did it.
And…well…here’s how they turned out.
Please excuse my mess of a desk. They look pretty good, though!
Yes, but: I Definitely wasn’t shooting for this color — I wanted more of a tan look. To get there, I’d have to bleach them again. But…I really like this pink, too.
So what do we think?
Let me know something.
BTW: Also, shouts to ya’ll for all the sock suggestions. And big shouts to everyone who actually sent socks through to your boy. I appreciate it! I’ve got lots of feedback to give.
#TheKicksWeWear
Y’ALL KNOW THE VIBRATIONS LETS GO
First, the homie Amy and her hubby popped out in these incredible 550s. Absolutely love it.
The homie Matt popped out in the Ishods and this still holds up as one of my favorite sneakers of 2022.
My guy Warren came through in these SWEET Waffle Ones. So good.
The homie David popped out in the Luka 1s and this might be Jordan Brand’s best current signature shoe.
The homie Storm doubled up on us with the Freak 3 and the Python 1s. So good.
My dog Sumeet came through with the Jackie Robinson Dunks. Idk why but this picture is so fly to me. I think it’s the giant sloth.
The homie Marc Anthony came through with the JFGs and I feel as though I’m obligated to post these anytime I see em.
Then the homie Hudson Hawk took us home with these super fly Cherry Blossom Dunks. We’re rebelling against fall weather out here.
Y’all are the flyest. Don’t let nobody tell you otherwise.
Thank you so much for rocking with me today, family. Appreciate y’all! Have a fantastic weekend.
Let’s chat again next week. Til then, peace and love. Be easy. Be safe. Be kind. And we out.
-Sykes 💯