The Kicks You Wear, Vol. 397 — A BHM win 🚨
Nike's new Black History Month Dunk is actually pretty damn cool
Good morning, friends! Welcome back to the Kicks You Wear. Thanks so much for rocking with me today. Appreciate you giving me a bit of your time.Hope you had a great week.
Guys, I was going to do a “My next cop” section right here for today’s send. But then I realized that I hadn’t purchased a sneaker (FOR MYSELF) since mid-December. I’m kind of not that into much right now? This is weird for me! I will rectify this soon.
Let’s jump in.
A really cool BHM sneaker
I was totally prepared to come into 2025 and complain about not having a Black History Month sneaker again.
It’s been super quiet and February is next week! We hadn’t heard anything. That is, until we got this.
What you’re seeing: That’s supposedly Nike’s next Black History Month sneaker.
It was first leaked by fallinlovesnkr earlier this week. The inspiration for the design reportedly celebrates the history of Black folks in rodeo, according to Complex. These are set to release in February.
Gotta be honest. These confused me initially. Rodeo? These things look like Shenron. Where’d they get rodeo from?
I did some digging and I think I’ve pinpointed the inspiration.
The backstory: The inspiration seems to be Bill Pickett, an early-1900s Black cowboy and the first Black man inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1972.
Pickett was born in Texas in 1870 to two former slaves. He dropped out of high school as a teen and worked as a ranch hand.
He created a method for catching stray cows called “bulldogging.” Today it’s called steer wrestling. He’d ride his horse next alongside the rampaging steer, wrap himself around its neck and bite the cow’s lip the same way a ranch dog would — hence the name bulldogging.
It looks something like this.
This trick became world famous. He performed it at the Miller Bros. 101 Ranch Wild West show. As Pickett’s star continued to rise, he did it in front of the camera. In 1922, he starred in a film called The Bull-Dogger. Only pieces of the film exist today, but it was basically a showcase of Pickett’s skill.
And that’s where our sneakers come in. Take a look at this poster.
Look familiar? It should. This is a poster for The Bull-Dogger featuring Pickett. On it, you can see the same colors featured that are present on the BHM sneaker.
Between the lines: I’ve got to say, man. Going from not having a Black History Month sneaker at all to going to this is pretty awesome.
From a cultural standpoint, this is brilliant. Cowboy culture is hot right now. From cowboy culture being the inspiration for Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton collection last year to Cowboy Cater and Beyoncé, it’s all over the place. So, on that note, it’s a pretty brilliant theme to pull from for Nike.
Let’s be real: Most people probably don’t know this story. I certainly didn’t before doing my research on this sneaker. Cowboys and Black folk aren’t usually in sentences together.
As it turns out, though, they probably should be. Black people have a long history as cowboys.
Historians estimate one in four cowboys were Black in the early 1900s, according to the Smithsonian Magazine.
Slaves developed cattle tending skills during the Civil War when white Texas ranchers went off to fight for the south. They left their slaves to tend to the farm.
The big picture: This is what a Black History Month sneaker is supposed to be. So often, we see brands using the same kente cloth patterns or those classic purple and gold hues to tell Black stories. There’s always a boiler-plate message attached to it. Remember the whole “EQUALITY” thing? Yeah. Yawn.
There are so many examples of brands being afraid to be specific and get granular about telling Black stories about Black icons doing iconic things. Here, Nike seems to lean into that really well.
Well, I guess I should say, Nike leans into it well if I’m right. This is a leak, after all. My analysis here could be totally off.
But if I’m right? And this is spot on? Good on you, Nike. Props to the brand.
To the moon with Adidas
Adidas released preliminary Q4 results ahead of its final 2024 results in March. The numbers are staggering.
The company’s currency-neutral revenue jumped by 19 percent in the fourth quarter at 5.96 million euros.
For the year, the brand’s revenue increased by 12 percent on a currency-neutral basis, reaching 23.68 million euros in 2024.
Dig deeper: Read the full report from Adidas here
What this says: Adidas is back. Looking at these numbers, you’d never think the brand clipped its most valuable asset in Yeezy just a couple of years ago.
The brand’s market cap is basically where it was just before it parted ways with Kanye West and Yeezy.
Adidas’ revenue numbers are currently hitting levels the brand was previously at in 2021 and encroaching where things were at in 2019.
Adidas is looking as good as it ever has. And the most impressive thing, to me, is that this doesn’t really feel that surprising. Again, the brand clipped Yeezy in 2022. It wasn’t supposed to get to this point this quickly. But here we are.
The other side: There’s controversy coming up. Adidas still needs to re-establish itself as a force in North America and it hasn’t managed to do that yet without Yeezy.
Plus, Adidas is reportedly planning massive layoffs at its headquarters in Germany, all in the name of consolidating operations. There will reportedly be 500 jobs lost as a result.
Cutting that many jobs is never a good thing. The “operational efficiency” excuse is always the go-to, but really all that means is that the brand is trying to pay fewer people while keeping the same level of production. That sucks.
Remember, that was the same explanation John Donahoe gave for Nike’s layoffs last year. This isn’t as massive of a cut, however.
Layoffs happen. They’re always awful, but it’s part of corporate life. As long as this move isn’t a staple for Adidas moving forward, things should be OK.
We’ll have to see if this is something to be worried about moving forward. In the meantime, though, I’m sure investors love these numbers.
SNS is in trouble
Swedish sneaker boutique Sneakersnstuff has been a staple in the global sneakers and streetwear scene for decades since it was founded in 1999.
Now, it’s bankrupt.
The news: SNS’s co-founder Peter Jannson confirmed reports that the company filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday and is closing its home location in Stockholm.
“The struggle is real,” Jannson said in the post. “Despite the struggle the last couple of years, it’s been an amazing journey. We’ve come a long way in the restructuring of SNS and I really believe in our new business plan. In combination with a reset from the bankruptcy, I hope SNS will be able to continue this journey.”
The backdrop: SNS’s financial struggles have run deep over the last few years.
The brand had an operating profit loss of nearly $3 million in 2023.
In 2024, the company closed its two flagship United States locations, Los Angeles and New York, to reduce that margin.
The bankruptcy will give the company a bit of room to breathe as it manages its debts, but this still isn’t a great sign.
Look around: SNS isn’t the only boutique or brand struggling to navigate the new sneaker space. Snobette’s Lois Sakany reports that both Converse and Stadium Goods in New York are letting expensive leases expire and moving to cheaper spaces that justify their costs. Atmos permanently shut down its U.S. operations in 2024. Foot Locker will be closing 400 stores permanently by next year.
Everyone is cutting costs these days. This is what the footwear industry looks like for the brands who aren’t at the top.
It’s sad, but it’s our reality. This is why it’s important to support those local boutiques and smaller operations when you can. It really makes a difference.
The JFG 992
We’ve got a first (unofficial) look at the Joe FreshGoods 992, which one of the few sneakers I’ve been looking forward to at the top of 2025.
The look via Reddit
JFG all but confirmed the leak on Instagram. He posted this image from Paris, where he’s hosting a party with New Balance for Paris Fashion Week.
The theme seems to be reflection. The Reddit post says the shoe is titled “Aged Well.” In the New Balance promotional poster, the caption is “The Best 5-Year Run,” which refers to when Joe and New Balance began working together.
My take: These joints give me Performance Art vibes, but on a 992. They venture back into the pastel pastiche we were initially introduced to in this partnership, which is a welcome sight.
Can’t wait to dive into these.
#TheKicksWeWear
Y’ALL KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS!!!!!
First, the homie Rohan got us poppin with the AE 1. I’ll never get tired of this sneaker, man.
The homie Tom popped out with the Oatmeal Gel-Lyte III. I actually like his name for them here better LOL.
My guy Matt came through with the Dodger Blue Dunks courtesy of his lady. She a real one, my guy.
My guy Mark came through with the Hal Studios Gel-Kayano 20s. I cannot get over how good these things are, man.
The homie Jovan popped out with a super smooth colorway of the GT-2160. Pristine.
Then the homie Matt came through with the Black Cement AJ3s ready for that cold weather out there. These are the perfect snow sneaker, y’all.
GOOD stuff, gang. Y’all did that.
That’s a wrap, guys! Thanks so much for reading. Appreciate you. Have a fantastic weekend. Go Birds.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns feel free to hit me up via email at mikedsykes@gmail.com or shoot me a message here on Substack.
Talk to you on Monday, folks. Until next time. Peace and love. Be safe, be easy, be kind. We out.
-Sykes 💯
That's a really thoughtful BHM shoe. I dig it!
I'm sad about SNS. Some of my best ever retail cops (winnings draws for the first Spiderverse 1s + Off-White black Prestos) were thanks to them. What a bummer.