The Kicks You Wear, Vol. 346 — Out of this world 👽
Nike's official campaign for Victor Wembanyama is the best we've seen in a long time
Goooood morning, folks! Welcome back to the Kicks You Wear. Thanks so much for rocking with more this morning. I appreciate you giving me a bit of your time.
Thank you for voting in Monday’s polls! You loved the Innovation Corner, so it will be back. Most of you didn’t seem to like the JJJJound Sambas—58 votes, and 60% of you preferred the GRs. I knew you were my people.
HOUSEKEEPING: KYW will be out on April 19 and 21. I’ll be traveling a bit in New Orleans. If anybody is down there, let me know!
Let’s get it.
We’re on Vic’s time
I don’t know if it’s because it was really good or that I’m just excited to see a new sports logo that isn’t just somebody’s initials in a cool font, but Nike’s big reveal of Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama’s new logo has me excited.
What happened: On the solar eclipse day, Nike revealed Wemby’s official logo…by drawing it in a crop circle. It was awesome.
What you see: This isn’t AI. It’s a legitimate crop circle done by Precision Mazes, the company Nike contracted to build it out. It's pretty cool, I must say. Nike pulled out all the stops for this one.
Rightfully so. This is perhaps Nike’s biggest unveiling since the brand revealed LeBron James’ logo in 2003. It could one day be as big as the Jumpman. It is important to ensure that the first time you see it is memorable.
That sounds like hyperbole, I know. But Wemby is in the middle of one of the greatest rookie seasons in NBA history, and the expectations are high.
The backdrop: We’ve known this would be the logo for a long time.
LeBron James called Wembanyama a basketball alien in 2022 because of his unusual skillset. Wemby loved it and the title stuck.
Nike turned that nickname into the alien logo you see above. An alien is also featured on his GT Hustle player-exclusive model. The brand is leaning in on this.
Nike Basketball hasn’t cooked like this in years. Most of its logos are simple these days. It’s “BOOK” for Devin Booker, for example, or a weird-looking JA for Ja Morant. Even Kevin Durant’s logo is just Kevin Durant.
What’s next: The second step is attaching interesting products to this logo. Obviously, the signature shoe conversation is on everybody’s mind now. It’s more of a “when” and not an “if” with Wembanyama. But it’s kind of risky.
On one hand: This is Victor Wembanyama. He’s already one of the most captivating athletes in the world — period. Building around that makes sense.
On the other: We’ve talked about it before. Big men just don’t sell sneakers. In the end, he’s a big man. You may run into the LeBron James problem where a chunk of his signature models look like combat boots. It’s hard to translate something made for his foot to something that could be made for the feet of the masses.
It’s hard to fathom what that thing might look like.
What we don’t want: Nike produced an AI-generated prototype Air signature sample during its event in Paris on Thursday. The alien vibes are carrying over. While the look is unique, this doesn’t look like something with any function. It barely looks wearable.
The big picture: That’s probably a ways away from where we are now. We can cross that line when we finally get to it.
What matters most is that Nike seems to finally have an interesting and coherent vision around a new basketball athlete for once. And that should allow the brand to create some interesting stuff around him.
I can’t wait to see what that stuff looks like.
Getting flexible
Speaking of Nike in Paris, that weird Wemby prototype wasn’t the only thing unveiled. The brand also revealed a new runner that fascinated me.
The skinny: Nike is launching the Pegasus Premium — a new runner slated to release in the Spring of 2025.
This new Pegasus runner has a full-length Zoom Air unit that curves — a new feature for the brand.
Typically, Air units don’t bend. If you look at some of Nike’s most famous Air units, they're always flat, no matter how big or small.
The air unit on this shoe bends on the X-axis, creating a dip from the heel to the toe. That bend supposedly creates a springing effect.
Take a look: The Zoom Air unit is sandwiched between React and Zoom foam. You can see the curve here.
Here’s a video via Jacques Slade that gives you a good look at them here.
Zoom out: Nike is finally moving away from that carbon fiber plate that it feels like they jammed into every runner in the late 2010s. I don’t know about y’all, but that was so uncomfortable for me.
The Pegasus Premium feels like a shoe that might be built for the layman who enjoys a good run. Of course, we’ll have to wait until we can get these joints to see how they perform. But it’s encouraging that Nike has built something more accessible and less daunting for the everyday person in the running category.
The downside: That $220 price tag will be a lot. But if you’re a frequent runner, it might be worth it in the end. Still, that’s hefty. Accessibility for some folks will be a problem.
The big picture: In the end, this might be what we’ve been waiting for from Nike. Everyone has been calling for something new from the brand — particularly in running where others like Hoka and On have left it in the dust.
This is Nike fighting back. That’s a good thing for us.
Other big Paris reveals:
The kids still love Nike…just not as much as they used to
Every year the banking and investment firm Piper Sandler Companies does a “Taking Stock with Teens” survey. The general idea is to present investors with data on what brands and products are trending among teens.
Why this matters here: Sneakers are a kid’s game. When footwear brands rise and fall in this survey, it means something. Either a brand is doing something that resonates with the next generation of spenders or it’s not doing enough.
Where things stand: We got a good look at the data thanks to Snobette’s brilliant Lois Sakany. Here were some of the takeaways:
Nike is still dominant — 34 percent of teens surveyed said the Swoosh is their top clothing brand. Another 59 percent said it’s their top footwear brand.
Yes, but: Sakany still points out the brand’s mindshare among teens is down by 190 basis points year over year. That’s a pretty significant dip.
Brands like New Balance and Hoka are climbing, but they are still nowhere near as important to teens as Nike is.
These numbers confirm what most people have been saying for a while now. Nike is facing a major lull regarding interest in its most important consumer base. But it’s still way more popular than any other footwear brand.
No more AI. Please.
Y’all thought the Wemby AI prototype was bad? Get a load of this. This is an AI design for an A’ja Wilson signature shoe with Air tech.
I never want to see these again. Stop playing with A’ja, Nike. Give us something real. It’s time.
#TheKicksWeWear
LET’S GET IT!!!!!!
First, the homie Floyd kicked us off with these Black Panther UB’s. Sick. Love these joints.
The homie Jally followed up with yet another pair of AE 1s. This shoe going crazy in the streets, y’all.
The homie Loe dropped in with the Shanghai Dunks. These joints are so good.
The homie Kali popped in with the Cardinal 3s. I will never ever ever ever get enough of this colorway.
My dog Ray came through with the A Ma Maniére Air Ship in this green flavor. So clean.
Then the homie Chris sent us home with the thisisneverthat 1906R. MAN. Love these bad boys.
Y’all SMOKED that, man. Sheesh. Good stuff, fam.
That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading today. Appreciate you! Let’s chat again on Monday!
Until then. Peace and love. Be safe, be easy, be kind. We out.
-Sykes 💯
I really want to try that Pegasus Premium.