The Kicks You Wear, Vol. 417 — You can't judge a shoe by its cover
The AE 2...looks pretty good!
Goooood morning, friends! Welcome back to the Kicks You Wear. Thanks for rocking with me this morning. I appreciate y’all.
Guys. I’m trying too hard to resist the urge to cop the Kith Predator Megaride joints. Those are so cold, man. Ronnie Fieg is doing a number on my wallet this year. I’ve got to chill.
Let’s get into it.
A better look at the AE 2
A couple of months ago, when Adidas gave us a first official glimpse at the AE 2, we were all in panic mode. To be fair to us, we only saw half of the shoe! Throwing half a glimpse of your company’s most anticipated sneaker out there to the wolves is probably not the best way to market it.
Remember: I’d warned that, while the initial look at the shoe wasn’t all that encouraging, it was still way too soon to pass judgment on it in any meaningful way. I still stand by that.
Today, I feel vindicated.
What’s happening: We got an unofficial look at the AE 2 via a couple of online leaks.
The Sneakers on Court shared an all-white sample of the sneaker on Instagram, giving us a full glimpse of what the silhouette looks like.
Then, Dre the Shoegod shared a look at an actual colorway of the AE 2 in red, blue and black. The full video shows us the whole silhouette.
Before we continue: You should know I usually don’t like sharing unofficial leaks like these.
I’m not somebody who enjoys leaked content very much. Leaks can ruin the perception of a sneaker before it ever actually hits the market. We usually don’t get the full context of the piece when this happens.
Yes, but: I’m more comfortable sharing this with you all because the official Adidas leak during the company’s earnings call was so bad.
Adidas did that to get ahead of leaks like these. But that strategy is only effective when your leak is actually good. Nike’s really good at that. Adidas? Not so much. If we’re being honest, the links above do more justice to the AE 2 than Adidas’ half-measure from a couple of months ago.
My take: I find myself in a completely different space from where I was after the Adidas leak. I’m much more confident in this shoe now, after seeing the leaks above, than I was before.
We finally have a full picture of what the sneaker looks like.
The design language looks pretty similar to what we had in the AE 1. It builds on that instead of taking things in the opposite direction.
The shoe’s outer TPU shell, which made it so captivating in the first place, seems to have been replaced with different materials.
Looking at the actual colorway of the sneaker gives us an idea of what the color-blocking scheme might look like on this model. I think it’s sharp.
I still think I like the AE 1 a bit better than these, but this look certainly gives me the confidence that this will be a solid follow-up to Anthony Edwards’ initial hit. That’s big for Adidas.
What’s at stake: Remember, Adidas hasn’t quite found its footing in North America. The brand is still figuring things out. Leaning into the shelltoe was supposed to be the thing in 2025, but it certainly hasn’t captured the community in ways that people thought it would.
Basketball could be the route. The Harden 9 is a hit so far this year. The AE 1’s run last year speaks for itself. Following that up with something solid is essential.
The bottom line: Adidas has something it can work with here. That’s exactly where the brand wants to be.
The tariff pushback
Some of the companies impacted by Donald Trump’s tariffs are beginning to fight back.
As Matt Priest explained in our conversation last week, several companies already manufacture goods in the U.S. But the materials they source and some of the inputs they use come from outside of the country. While they manufacture here in America, they’re being taxed for those things, too.
That’s why a handful of small businesses are suing the Trump administration for unilaterally imposing tariffs and crashing the economy, Footwear News’ Kate Nishimura reports.
The details: Five small businesses have come together to sue the Trump administration.
The companies included are New York-based wine company Victor Owen Schwartz, Utah pipe manufacturer Genova Pipe, Virginia’s electronic and musical instrument shop MicroKits, Pennsylvania’s sportfishing spot FishUSA, and Vermont women’s cycling apparel store Precision Cycling.
The lawsuit says Trump claimed the authority to “unilaterally levy tariffs on goods imported from any and every country in the world, at any rate” with no notice, despite impacts that are likely to do “severe damage to the global economy.”
It claims that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which Trump is using to apply these tariffs, is unjustified because there is no real emergency.
The plaintiffs want the court to step in and declare Trump’s unilateral tariffs illegal. They’re also requesting that it prevent Trump from using executive actions to impose emergency tariffs in the future.
The big picture: These five businesses aren’t the only ones impacted by the tariffs. Companies, large and small, have already felt the impacts of Trump’s policy approach in multiple ways, whether it be share prices dropping, increased import pricing or general consumer fear behind price increases.
Don’t be shocked if more plaintiffs are added to this down the line. Or, better yet, if we see more suits filed like this against the administration in courts around the country.
The 1300 is back … And expensive
Remember the New Balance 1300JP we talked about a few weeks back? That’s officially being pulled out of the archives soon.
The timing: The shoe is officially being released again for New Balance’s “Grey Day” on May 29. The product page is already up on the brand’s website.
The background: The 1300JP is the shoe that made New Balance so popular in Japan.
This sneaker iconized the steel blue colorway when it initially released in Japan back in 1984. The shoe’s high quality and price point are what made it pop. It cost $130 (39,000 yen) when it debuted. It was more of a luxury item than a sneaker.
Two things: So there’s good news and bad news with this shoe’s return.
The good news: New Balance heads who love these joints will get a chance to cop the 2025 version, which is supposed to meet the quality assurances that have always been associated with this shoe. That’s something any collector appreciates.
The bad news: They’ll be $330. That’s expensive, man.
The price point has always been a massive deal with this shoe. It sold at $130 in 1984. You account for inflation in 2025, that’s nearly $400. But ain’t paying that much for these joints.
New Balance is pricing some folks out with these. You can include me in that group. Any excitement I had for this shoe is gone.
Is…is Justin Bieber cooking?
Justin Bieber —yes, thee Justin Bieber — is launching a streetwear brand called SKYLRK. Yes, I’m just as confused as you.
He’s not the first pop star to launch a clothing line, obviously. But this is coming out of nowhere. And he’s also not being backed by one of the big brands out there. This really just…seems to be Biebs doing Biebs things. Which, OK, I guess.
That’s not what’s confusing me the most, though. What I’m really confused about is, well, I kind of like these sneakers?
Like, I think I’d wear these. Would I wear these? I don’t know, man. They’re fun! They’re vibey. Justin Bieber might have something cooking here. Here’s a full look at SKYLRK’s collection here, too. It’s really not bad!
What do y’all think?
#TheKicksWeWear
LET’S GET IT!!!!
First, the homie Jess got us poppin with the New Balance 530 in this WILD colorway. Love these joints.
The homie Jimmy came through with the Social Status Gel-Lyte V. These are sick, y’all.
The homie Andrew popped out to Comerica Park with these heaters on. Shoutout to 574. Classic.
The homie Mark came through with the Palace 580s. This silhouette is a SLEEPER.
Then the homie Sailas sent us home with the Do It For Dez Pennies. MAN. TORCH!
Y’all did that, man. Good stuff. Gooooood stuff.
That’s a wrap! Thanks so much for reading, folks. I appreciate you for giving me some of your time today.
HOUSEKEEPING: Remember, KYW will be out on Monday for Easter. Go hunt for some Easter eggs or something.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns feel free to hit me at mikedsykes@gmail.com or shoot me a message here via Substack.
Peace and love. Be safe, be easy, be kind. We out.
-Sykes 💯