Good morning, friends! Welcome back to the Kicks You Wear. Thanks so much for reading today. Appreciate you giving me a bit of your time. Happy Tuesday!
Finished “Starting 5” just in time for this NBA’s season and, as it turns out, I’ve become the biggest James Harden fan in the world. Interesting how that worked out. No, but seriously. The documentary was awesome. Basketball was already my favourite sport, but this docuseries reaffirmed my love for it. It’s great, man.
Anyway, enough about Netflix. Let’s get down to business.
Nike and KNWLS
As someone who frequently pops onto Nike’s SNKRS app just to see what new things might be coming around the corner, it’s very rare that something actually surprises me. But I have to admit that seeing the brand’s upcoming collaboration with south London fashion label KNWLS made me gasp.
What’s happening: A new collaboration between the two brands is releasing on Nike’s SNKRS app this week and it’s a banger.
- The collection features eight different sportswear pieces all ranging from what the brand calls its “hero” piece in its scythe corset to leggings and top sets in a black and olive colourway.
- It also features two bags made from nylon, featuring a mini-swoosh as Nike branding.
- Plus, there are three pairs of a ballet-cut version of Nike’s Air Max Muse.
That last bullet is what got me. I’d never seen a sneaker like it. It felt like a riff on Nike’s Air Rift, but it’s also distinctly different because it features the sole of the Air Max Muse. It’s an innovative look at one of Nike’s newer models.
Why this matters: As Nike continues to make plays in activewear and athleisure — particularly when it comes to its female consumers — the brand has to find ways to differentiate itself from the already established competition in the space. It’s competing with the Alo Yogas, Athletas and Lululemons of the world.
To me, this collection here with KNWLS felt like the brand actually doing that.
- The pieces featured from KNWLS were essentially the same traditional activewear pieces we see from other brands.
- But the brand differentiated itself by using a unique design-language and style to make those traditional pieces look different.
- Plus, the collection also featured three pairs of unique Nike sneakers. That’s the main proposition Nike offers consumers that its other competitors in this space can’t.
Between the lines: When I saw this I instinctively compared it to what we saw a few weeks ago with Kim Kardashian’s NikeSkims collection. While Skims’ partnership with Nike was obviously hyped up in a way the KNWLS collection wasn’t, the latter felt more like something along the lines of what I expected from the former.
And don’t get me wrong — there’s nothing wrong with the NikeSkims collection. It works for what it is.
- The Skims drop was the start of a partnership and not a collaboration. The products are meant to appeal to a wider audience, which means making safer design choices.
- There’s also a lot more room for NikeSkims to produce things like sneakers, bags and more down the line as the partnership grows.
Yes, but: For something that came with so much initial fanfare, it just felt like things fell a bit flat in the end. One or two standout pieces from the collection may have helped avoid that flat feeling.
The other side: The KNWLS collab isn’t perfect, either. KNWLS costs a pretty penny. When it comes to sportswear these days, consumers are searching more for value than shock and awe. This might work as a quick hit collab, but the long-term play probably isn’t there.
The big picture: There’s a middle-ground to walk here for Nike in activewear. While every piece shouldn’t be as flashy as what KNWLS shows us here, a bit more flare could do the company some good when it comes to making NikeSkims pop off.
Hopefully, we see that mix down the road.
Walmart Partners With Stadium Goods
Buying hyped sneakers from Walmart was unimaginable a few years ago. But, in 2025, it’s the new norm.
What’s new: Walmart is launching a new collaboration with Stadium Goods, adding yet another marketplace for premium footwear to its portfolio.
- The partnership with Stadium Goods comes just over a year after launching a similar one with StockX.
- In a press release, the brand said the move “reinforces its commitment to meeting customer demand, from everyday essentials to sought-after brands.”
How it works: Similarly to how things work with StockX, customers who go to Walmart’s website will be able to shop via a Stadium Goods section that will feature an assortment of pre-verified products that the streetwear and sneaker retailer offers.
The why: There are potential benefits for both Walmart and Stadium Goods coming with this move.
- For Walmart, bolstering its third-party vendor sales has been a priority for its business. That’s been a major focus for the brand as it continues to compete with Amazon. This move should help with that.
- For Stadium Goods, its business has struggled as the sneaker resale market cooled and premiums have shrunk. The company recently closed its New York City store in January. This gives the company’s online business yet another massive platform to push its products on (it also has a shop on Amazon’s platform).
Between the lines: A big reason for Stadium Goods’ struggles is its parent company, Farfetch, which bought the brand in 2018. The company made seven acquisitions in less than a decade and nearly went bankrupt. Farfetch had to be rescued by a $500 million emergency fund from Coupang.
The brands it purchased were impacted. Some were eventually cut. Stadium Goods survived, but it was a challenging environment for its business to thrive in.
The big picture: This move, theoretically, should help Stadium Goods rebound. While the secondary market isn’t what it used to be, there are still ways to stay afloat. As the market has cooled, many of these companies are looking to diversify their product offerings and trying to find ways to get in front of new customers.
Walmart provides a legitimate avenue in doing that.
The Squeakiest Lawsuit
In news that reads like a prank, On is getting sued by some of its customers for squeaky sneakers.
Yes, you’re reading that correctly.
The news: A class-action lawsuit was filed against On in a US District Court in Oregon on Oct. 9, claiming that the company’s CloudTec is the cause behind an “embarrassing” squeak in its shoes.
- The plaintiffs claim that the shoes are “unwearable” without making custom modifications to On’s CloudTec because of the squeak.
- They call the squeak “embarrassing” and “annoying” in the lawsuit.
What they’re saying: Naturally, we reached out to On for its response on this. But the brand declined to comment on the story, citing that it can’t speak about ongoing legal matters.
The plaintiffs say that the company explained the squeak as a result of the friction from the CloudTec pods that are a staple of the brand’s signature models.
Details: The lawsuit directly implicates 11 different pairs of On footwear styles, including some of its most popular.
- The On Cloudmonsters, Cloudrunners, Cloud 5, Cloud 6 and more are currently included.
My take: I’ve never seen anything quite like this. If you buy enough sneakers, you’re bound to come across a squeaky pair or two (or three!). This is something fairly common in the world of footwear.
The squeak always annoys people. But annoying them to the point of a lawsuit? This is certainly a new one.
Why this matters: I’m not a lawyer, so I can’t tell you how this will end or how much weight this lawsuit holds. But On’s entire value proposition lies in the functionality and comfort of its CloudTec cushioning system. It’s built to absorb impact and reduce strain for runners.
We’re a long way away from this happening, but if – and it’s a big if – this lawsuit results in a significant material or functional change for the company that could be a pretty big deal.
Nike’s New Doernbecher Collection Arrives
Nike unveiled its 2025 Doernbecher collection this fall over the weekend. Every single year, this is one of my favourite moments in sneakers.
Background: Nike partners with Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregan every year to have six patients design custom shoes in partnership with the brand.
- Each kid gets to design their own sneaker for Nike.
- The shoes get auctioned off and sold with the proceeds going to the hospital.
I look forward to the collection preview every year. It reminds me just how creative kid’s minds can be. There’s always a design or two that wows me within the collection.
The latest: Things are no different this year with the six designs offered up this year. They include:
- The V2K Run by Khovny Vignery
- The Vomero Plus by Molly Bell
- The Air Force 1 by Oli Fasone-Lancaster
- The Air Max Dn8 by Raegan Scheid
- The Air Max Plus by Sergio Cano Marquez
- The Air Jordan 17 by Zach Rumbaugh
My favourite: If I had to pick one, I think it’d be the Air Force 1. The inclusion of the fork, spoon and spatula in the swoosh of the model is so brilliant to me. It’s such a fun design touch.
Shoutout to these kids. This is the sort of fun you’re supposed to have with sneakers.
What’s Droppin’, Bruh?
This is a dedicated section detailing upcoming sneaker releases for the week, and sometimes other interesting drops I think you might care about.
Thanks for reading, gang! Hope you enjoyed the newsletter.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns, reach out to me via email at michael.sykes@businessoffashion.com or shoot me a message @MikeDSykes via socials.
Peace and love. Be safe, be easy, be kind. We out.
-Sykes 💯