Way back in 2009 when I launched ARCH after Sho-Shot and Center Court Basketball came to an end, I lectured at the University of Memphis on why developing your own platform was important. I explained in that course that the only reason Sho-Shot was capable of grabbing the International Basketball League uniform deal, 9 colleges wearing the uniforms and 1200 pair of basketball shoes sold from an unknown brand was because I spent all of my time getting high school and Juco basketball players scholarships. Center Court Basketball as a website was on par with rivals. In that lecture I explained how I missed a serious opportunity because I didn’t want ads on my site and I didn’t want people leaving the site. I wanted college coaches focused on the players so I failed to post the player videos to YouTube from 2004 to 2009. Over a thousand videos of games and highlights never moved beyond my platform which meant the players were in an echo chamber and missed out on opportunities. This was before everyone else was really utilizing YouTube. I could have easily been a breakout YouTube channel which would have extended the reach of Sho-Shot. This is important because instead of me losing the Sho-Shot license, all of my designs and all of my blood, sweat and tears (and most important, money – I ended up bankrupt), I would have been able to keep my company and Sho-Shot without a doubt could have reached And1 levels.
Why did I write all of that when this is about a Sneaker Business Oriented Curriculum? Right now as Nike, Under Armour and adidas all shift towards direct to consumer focused businesses there is an opening for new footwear and apparel companies. There are also opportunities within these companies. The problem is as the sneaker community grows, those who love and drive the momentum of the industry are not capable of gaining access to jobs and opportunities within the community. The result is that the same people are hired over and over into different companies producing the same results and redundancy within the culture.
I’ve written about Obsessive Sneaker Disorder on the website before:
‘SOLEcialstudies’ Elevates the Concept of “Sneakerhead” and Verifies The Shift In Kicks
This time I wanted to give a bit of my background to reinforce the importance of the SOLEcial Studies courses. My hope is that those interested will find a way to connect with Sean Williams. Sean figured out years ago that in order for the culture to compete when it comes to jobs that there had to be a course of study to introduce people to design, manufacturing, marketing and the business opportunities in footwear. His goal has been to deliver a classroom experience for sneakerheads and non-sneakerheads. I think it’s really important that the industry gets its information from those who have lived this sneaker life from the beginning. Authenticity creates a stronger footwear ecosystem.
((CLASS ALERT)) Registration for the Summer/Fall 2018 season will be opened soon. Learn the business and culture of sneakers, for MUCH LESS than other course offerings, from the trailblazers of “sneaker industry education” OSD! Contact us for details ((Email or DM))..you won’t be disappointed! #solecialstudies#osdlive #sneakermuseum #kickstories #sneakerhead#sneakereducation #igsneakercommunity #entrepreneurship#business #culture #iknowdopepeople
