The Kicks You Wear, Vol. 396 — No, sneakers aren't dead 😵
They're just evolving!
Good morning, folks! Welcome back to the Kicks You Wear. I hope you had a fantastic weekend and a lovely week ahead.
Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, folks! King was, in my estimation, one of the most incredible humans this country — really, this world — has ever produced. At a time when the people who wield the most power in our nation are actively working to peel back progress that this man and others fought for, we must remember exactly what the man stood for.
Essential reading: King’s last speech was on April 3, 1968. He gave the “I’ve been to the Mountaintop” speech.
His last words:
“I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”
King was assassinated the next day. He knew it was a possibility. He did not live in fear of it. He kept fighting. He kept pushing.
As we progress through these scary times, keeping his example in mind is imperative.
Ok. Let’s talk about sneakers now.
Sneakers aren’t dying. They’re evolving.
Ah, yes. 2025 isn’t even a month old yet and we’re already here. It’s time to have the age-old conversation about whether sneakers and sneaker culture are dead.
Driving the conversation: This time, it’s the presence and rising popularity of what I call “alt-sneakers” in the marketplace.
These are pieces of footwear that kind of carry the spirit of sneakers while not actually being a traditional “sneaker.”
Think the New Balance 1906L loafer that’s taken off or the Kith x Clarks x Adidas fusion that turns classic Adidas into Wallabees. Another example would be Edison Chen’s hard-bottomed Adidas Superstars. These teeter the line but are still kind of sneakers.
There are also more extreme variations out there. I’d count Salehe Bembury’s Pollex Crocs in this boat. These aren’t sneakers at all, but they’re adjacent to sneaker culture because of their creator and have generated some hype.
There are more extreme variations like the MSCHF Big Red Boot phase we had or the Yeezy Pods people bought for whatever reason. These are complete subversions of sneakers and sneaker culture.
Seeing the rise of these alt-sneakers and the continued interest in alternatives to the classic looks we’ve been wearing, some out there have speculated that the era of sneakers is coming to an end. It’s giving way to loafers, clogs and other weird alternatives that help consumers stand out a bit more.
Between the lines: While I think it’s true that the traditional sense of what a sneaker is doesn’t hold as much weight as it used to (i.e., your Jordan 1 might not be the most popular sneaker in the room anymore), that doesn’t mean that sneakers are dead. It just means consumer attitudes are morphing.
The why: A couple of reasons spring into mind for this trend.
Reason 1: It was much easier to feature your sneakers when joggers and more form-fitting jeans were in. But now people are wearing baggier clothes again. As styles have changed and ventured more into that late-90s and early-2000s look, so have attitudes around sneakers. The clothes you wear hold a bit more weight than the sneakers do now. Your footwear becomes more subtle with oversized pants.
Reason 2: As footwear has become more subtle, consumers are looking for more ways to make their footwear stick out. That’s where the weird styles come into play.
Hate them or love them, those sneakers are going to catch people’s attention and spark conversation.
Wearing a simple pair of traditional loafers or a pair of clogs goes against the grain that we’ve become accustomed to over the last few years.
So, today, the weirder, the better. Your Blackstock & Weber loafers are a little more interesting than your Js now.
Don’t get me wrong — a retro Jordan is still nice to have. But they’re just not as interesting to people anymore. The brands oversaturated the market and, when you see something enough, it becomes less interesting. Collaborations come a dime a dozen now. They no longer stick out because everything tries to stick out.
Don’t get it twisted: The traditional sneakers aren’t going away. In the end, they’re way easier to wear. They’re way more versatile. And they’re also way more comfortable. I’d like to see one of y’all try to wear a loafer every single day of the year. You can’t do it. I’d bet money you wouldn’t.
We’re just living in a world now where people are experimenting. They’re trying different things. That’s good! That’s how we should be doing this. It doesn’t mean sneakers are dead.
In the end, sneaker culture is about what the people are into. If that’s not a traditional sneaker? Cool. Wear some loafers. Or some foam clogs. Or some cowboy boots. Whatever floats your boat. Maybe bring back Toms! (For the love of all that is good, please don’t bring back Toms).
The big picture: This conversation isn’t new. It also won’t die here. We’ll continue to have different variations of it time after time again.
But just know, man. As long as you’re living, the culture ain’t dead. It’s just what you make it.
Does Pharrell have too much dip on his chip?
Pharrell unveiled his latest footwear project for Louis Vuitton — the LV ButterSoft.
Skateboard P went pack to his Ice Cream roots with this one. He designed all these different vibrant colorways for the model.
The timing: The shoe will debut on the runway this week for Louis Vuitton during Paris Fashion Week. The brand’s opening show is on January 21, so we’ll see plenty of looks.
But… The shoe’s debut isn’t as intriguing as what it looks like. This is just a thick version of the Nike Cortez.
My first thought upon seeing this shoe was if Nike cleared this. This is a very blatant riff on the Cortez in the same way that John Geiger’s JG-01 was a riff on the Air Force 1. Considering how often the brand sues just about everyone for copying its designs these days, I couldn’t help but think about this as another potential target.
The other side: There’s precedent for this. High fashion has copied the sneaker world for years. Balenciagas look like Asics and New Balance these days. It’s not uncommon for luxury brands to steal like this.
Plus, considering that Nike and LV have had a working relationship since Virgil Abloh’s Louis Vuitton Air Force 1s were launched, I’d have to imagine that the brands communicated about these.
But if they didn’t? That feels risky! Nike has sued folks for less blatant copies. The brand just took on Bape. Would Nike be bold enough to sue an LVMH brand? I’m not sure. But I also wouldn’t want to tempt it.
A sliding doors moment
I can’t stop thinking about LeBron James telling us he almost signed with Reebok. In an appearance on the Kelce brother’s New Heights podcast, he told the story about when Reebok almost tempted him not to take other meetings with brands.
What he said: Reebok wrote a check for $10 million for James and his family.
“The guy slides over a check to me at the end of the table… And he says, ‘If you don’t go and talk to any other companies, this is yours.’ And I look at it. I look at it. $10 million [expletive].”
James turned it down! His mom convinced him to keep his other meetings. Eventually, he meets with Nike and the rest is history.
But just think about it: What does the sneaker world look like if James signs to Reebok?
Reebok’s basketball line basically collapsed once Allen Iverson left the NBA. It stuck around for a bit, signing a few players here and there to deals. But it never got back on the track it was once on when it was Nike’s biggest competitor in basketball.
If the brand snags Bron back in 2003, does it eventually overtake Nike? Would it still be a powerhouse today? We might be talking about a world where Reebok — not Adidas — is the No. 2 footwear brand in the world. That’s so interesting to me.
We’ll never know how things would’ve gone. Ultimately, LeBron made the smart decision. But, man. That’s an incredible sliding doors moment if I’ve ever seen one.
An unequivocally good thing
In some good news, Nike has reportedly donated $7.8 million in contributions for relief of the Southern California wildfires that have devastated the state, according to Complex’s Brendan Dunne.
The company reportedly sent out an email to employees announcing the relief effort. It’s not all cash — most of it is product donations.
The company says it contributed $500,000 to the LA Fire Department Foundation, $500,000 to the World Central Kitchen, $500,000 to the American Red Cross and $250,000 to the Los Angeles Red Cross. It also matched employee donations, totaling $50,000.
The rest of the relief comes in the form of $6 million in products, ranging from shoes and apparel from Nike, Jordan Brand and Converse.
My read: Considering how harsh the world around us is, it’s very easy to view everything through a lens of constant cynicism. That’s pretty much how I operate day to day.
It’s easy to do that here, too. But I won’t.
I think this is a good thing. Full stop. I’m glad to see the brand do it.
What’s droppin’, bruh?
Riot Skate Shop x Nike SB Dunk Low — Tuesday, January 21
New Balance 1906A “Slate Grey” — Wednesday, January 22
Sandy Liang x Salomon XT-Whisper — Thursday, January 23
Adidas Harden 9 “Cyber Metallic” — Saturday, January 25
Nike Doernbecher Collection (Via SNKRS) — Saturday, January 25
That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading today. Appreciate you giving me a bit of your time.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns feel free to hit me via email at mikedsykes@gmail.com or shoot me a message on Substack here.
Have a great week. Until next time. Peace and love. Be safe, be easy, be kind. We out.
-Sykes 💯