No longer the Silicon Valley uniform darling, Allbirds has had the roughest post IPO performance of any brand. The company has all the tools to turn the ship around but appears to be mired in an unwillingness to venture outside of their norms. The company is ridiculously vanilla and non-threatening. A company unwilling to challenge…
As buyers reduce purchasing and default to readily available products at specialty running and mainstream sneaker stores, distribution will rear its head as the de facto cause of collapse for brands without the brand recognition to move fans into the purchase funnel. In Olympic years advertising spend increases and as bigger brands vie to keep…
#food We decided to take a break from holiday cooking and eating to visit Good Fortune Company on South Main in Downtown Memphis. We started our walk down the giant steps to Tom Lee Park and then returned back to Main Street to hit GFC. The restaurant is Memphis’ first scratch-made noodle and dumpling shop….
In the past I’ve attempted to keep up with the mainstream sneaker outlets by sharing my top 20 or 40 sneakers of the year. I based this on a section of the site I listed as Dope S–t I Like. This made for what I think was the most engaging and interesting list in the…
The canvas for the second installment of the Future of Learning Challenge. In conjunction with Teach for America’s Reinvention Lab, we brought 16 education-focused organizations together for a 4-week design and storytelling incubator. We taught students and educators from across the country to tell communicate their grand ideas and visions for the future of learning….
OFF Stories: Read, watch or listen to stories that move by On | On United States (on-running.com) Split into four primary categories: Movement, Culture, Athletes, Planet, Off Stories provide training insight, motivational stories from On sponsored athletes, informative strategies being implemented by On to offset the brand’s effect on the planet and cultural discussions on…
Source: $10M New Balance Donation Establishes the Institute for Innovative Leadership in Sport at UMass Boston While 2023 in sneaker culture wraps up with beefs and complaints about the top sneakers of the year, brands committed to the work of improving communities quietly continue to do so with real dollars and support. In 2018…
On Running, HOKA, Newton Running, NNormal, Hylo Athletics, NOBULL, Tracksmith are all brands gaining traction in a saturated marketplace. These brands looked towards the general and accessible sports: training, running and fitness to capture marketshare. These sports don’t have an age cutoff or limitations on who can compete or participate. Anyone can lift weights or…
The NBA on ESPN, NBA on TNT, the commentary about the kid’s weight (and I’m sure someone is yelling “he’s 23, he’s a man.”) everything surrounding this young man is a net negative on his mental well-being. Ja Morant and Zion Williamson are very similar narratives forming. The difference is Ja had three years of…
When the leader of the brand is from PayPal and isn’t a part of the Nike family tree, when the brand has focused heavily on Direct sales to the detriment of brand momentum, the result is a Nike that is the most profitable and powerful in the footwear industry sounding unlike anything I’ve ever seen….
They say a little rain never hurt anyone, but every sneakerhead knows that a bout of sh*tty weather can ruin even the best outfit. Just a few puddles make all the difference between wearing the latest release from KARHU or your beat up, old sneakers. Source: THE KARHU X KNIRPS “SH*TTY WEATHER” PACK Both colourways…
Show Jason & John, Ep Hour 1–J&J Show Friday 12/15/23 – Dec 15, 2023 An Insightful Interview on Jason & John with Mikey Williams’ attorney makes it clear the star athlete is ready to get on the court. What is the hold up? (24 minutes in) Source: Jason & John: Hour 1–J&J Show Friday 12/15/23–w/J&J…
https://ninetynineproducts.com/ I had a chance to sit down with designers at NinetyNine Products, Jream Henderson and Britney Hand. We talked about 99’s unique position in the sneaker industry, dream chasing and the important of having a team when encountering obstacles.
I visited the Memphis Listening Lab to highlight one of the best places to check out in the city and to combine two of my favorite things: Kicks and Hip-Hop. When NinetyNine Products released a pic of their new sneaker, The Carver Composite, I noticed it looked a lot like an homage to A Tribe…
I’ll ask this question now before moving too far ahead. What brand is Matthew Boling wearing at the start of this training session? Don’t peak and scroll down or it becomes apparent. At 14 seconds in you can see clearly, he’s wearing an interesting running shoe. I won’t write the brand yet because you need…
Video Breakdown 0:00 Intro 0:57 Nike Demand 4:57 Retail Offsets Poor Decisions 8:35 Slow Sales and No Challenges 12:51 The Annual Air Jordan 11 Drop 16:30 Nike and Marketing 1.The Demand for Nike Never Stops Right now, on Amazon, a Seller Central Account can open a Selection Recommendation for shoes currently in demand. The first…
Watch Leave the World Behind | Netflix Official Site The cast is stellar, the trepidation around the rise of technology contributing to the downfall of society is a truism (the downfall of man always feels as if it is right around the corner). Every aspect of this film should have made it come together like…
While the band Jungle has recently become mainstream in the U.S. with the song Back on 74, fans of the band have been rocking with the group since “Casio, Heavy, California and Cherry“. The band has an immediately recognizable aesthetic. Utilizing the AMCK Dance Agency, a recognizable cast of characters convey the rhythm and sound…
Contradiction: a combination of statements, ideas, or features of a situation that are opposed to one another. Itta Bena is a speakeasy. It’s tucked away in a space you can’t find. If you know, you know. B.B. King was born in the Mississippi Delta city and made his way up the Blues Highway to Memphis….
The arch Podcast Episode 4: 10 Questions with Rockridge Apparel Founder Randy Wells I recently did a podcast with Randy Wells the founder of Rockridge. The Oakland based company sits at the heart of entrepreneurship and fashion. Randy formed a partnership with his local business district and is hosting an extended residency which provides information…
There are two amazing exhibits highlight Black art and they are taking place at the same time. I visited the Dixon Gallery and Gardens to see the expansive Black Artists in American collection and followed that up with a trip to the more interactive Black Portraits at the Brooks Museum. Video Breakdown 0:00 Introduction 0:27…
Source: What is bulk shipping? I wrote the following post two years ago during a consultation. The goal was to see which site offered buyers the best return on revenue when selling kicks on 3rd party sites StockX and eBay: Does eBay Really Have the Best Fees in the Game? How Shipping Shapes Sneaker Resale…
