The Kicks You Wear, Volt. 181 — Legacy is forever
NBA players are still rocking Kobes
What’s good, family! The Kicks You Wear is back. Thank you so much for rocking with your boy on this glorious Monday.
Hope you had an amazing weekend! I did absolutely nothing for the first time in a while. It was great.
Let’s jump in.
NBA players aren’t done with Kobe's Nikes yet
Back in April when Vanessa Bryant and the Kobe Bryant estate first left Nike, I was adamant in saying that I think the two sides would link up again at some point.
No idea when. No idea how. But I just feel like the partnership between the two sides was too impactful for both sides to walk away from forever.
This is what I mean. NBA players are still wearing Nike’s Kobe shoes despite everything that’s happened behind the scenes.
Here’s Ja Morant in some for the Grizzlies’ preseason game.
Here’s the deal: Nike is no longer licensed to make anything that has to do with Bryant’s name, image or likeness, but that doesn’t mean players and people can’t still wear the stuff.
And, boy, are they ever.
That goes beyond Morant’s kicks up there. DeMar DeRozan still rocks them. So does Lonzo Ball. You can find Anthony Davis in them every night.
I mean, hell, they were one of the lead stories in the NBA Finals when Devin Booker wore his.
These shoes aren’t going away. This legacy isn’t going away, no matter what the business behind the scenes is at the current moment. It’s an incredible hoops shoe and, well, it’s Kobe. No more needs to be said.
And that’s why I think, at some point in the future whether it’s tomorrow or 10 years down the line, this thing swings back around.
Something like this doens’t just fade away over time.
Adidas new brilliant sustainability initiative
Last week we talked about brands needing to do more with less to have a real impact on sustainability in the footwear industry. Adidas might be well on its way to doing that.
What’s happening: The three stripes just partnered with ThredUp, an aftermarket platform, to launch a new initiative they’re calling “Resale.”
The details:
They’ll accept worn shoes, clothing, and accessories from any brand to be resold to extend its lifecycle.
No, this is not like StockX or GOAT. It’s not meant to hit you over the head. It’s supposed to be more like thrifting on the internet.
You can ship items to Adidas for free through its Creators Club and receive vouchers and loyalty points in return.
This is currently a pilot. The program will be expanded next year, per The Business of Fashion.
In the grand scheme, this doesn’t completely solve Adidas’ sustainability problem. But it is progress.
Having a place where all of these unrecyclable materials can go get refurbished to be used again is a very good thing.
Adidas doing this is big, too. That sets an industry standard. It joins Nike in launching its own refurbishing program — this one even takes things a bit further by accepting apparel and sneakers from any brand.
Don’t get it twisted: There’s still plenty of work Adidas, Nike and everyone else has to do to get this right. And most of those problems lie in production which, again, may never slow down.
So as good and significant as these programs are, they’re still only partial solutions. Hopefully, at some point, progress is made on the entire thing.
SPECIAL DELIVERY: I love the XC-72 and all its weirdness
New Balance isn’t necessarily known for getting too deep out of its dad bag. And when it does, it’s not always the greatest.
But these retro-future vibes they’ve been pumping out over the last few years have been great. The 327, the 237 and, now, the XC-72 — easily, the weirdest one.
That’s also what makes it the best one, in my opinion. I talk about all of that and more in this week’s episode of Special Delivery.
Tap in with us, family.
Talk about taking care of your shoes
Typically I won’t buy shoes that are more than a few years old because, well, I like to actually wear my joints without worrying that they’ll melt on me.
If I didn’t own them before then I probably have no business buying them.
With that being said, these ones are a different story. LOOK AT HOW PRISTINE THESE 85’S ARE.
That shoe is supposed to be older than me? Dog. How? That’s insane, man. Somebody teach me these ways. I got some joints I’d like to preserve like this.
What’s droppin, bruh?
Yeezy 500 “Mist Stone” — Monday, October 11
Adidas Terrex Free Hiker “Made to be Remade” — Friday, October 15
Nike x Social Status “Strawberry Milk” Dunk — Friday, October 15
Air Jordan 14 “Winterized” — Saturday, October 16
Yeezy 700 “Wash Orange” — Saturday, October 16
Thanks for rocking with your boy today! I appreciate you. Til next week, family. Be well.
Peace and love. Be safe, be easy, be kind. And we out.
-Sykes 💯