The nonstop machine of sneaker culture picked up right where it left off last year, fueled in 2023 by the continued inundation and oversaturation of releases.
Yet, more drops meant more opportunities, especially for Black creatives and athletes with fresh and meaningful stories. And brands gave them the platform to tell those stories on the canvases of shoe silhouettes.
In big-picture news, the once-great rollercoaster relationship between Ye (the artist formally known as Kanye West) and Adidas finally came to an end, leaving rapper Travis Scott, who continues to dominate as both a Nike and Jordan Brand ambassador, as the highest-profile collaborator in the game. On the basketball court, the signature sneakers landscape in the NBA and WNBA continues to expand. The year also brought us Air, the blockbuster feature-length film surrounding sneakers.
Here’s a look at some noteworthy moments and stories representing our passion for the wild world of sneakers.
Fat Joe’s Forces finally hit retail
Nike
Amidst 2023’s yearlong celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, Nike rolled out a long-overdue, yet well-deserved, retail release for one of the biggest sneakerheads in rap history: Jose Antonio Cartagena, aka Bronx, New York-bred emcee Fat Joe.
The saga of hip-hop’s self-proclaimed “sneaker king” dates back to 2004, when Fat Joe’s rap collective, Terror Squad, dropped its smash single, “Lean Back,” and Joey Crack rocked a custom pair of pink and white Nike Air Force 1s in the video. Joe ultimately revealed that, for years, he secretly paid a Nike employee to design him special sample pairs of Forces without the brand’s official sign-off.
The rapper’s affinity to the Swoosh and Jumpman ultimately led to a longtime partnership with Nike, which, for nearly 20 years, has designed friends and family pairs of kicks exclusively for Joe. Nike, however, never officially sold any of the Terror Squad-branded Forces until this year’s widespread release of two AF1 models, in “Blackout” and “Loyalty” colorways, which feature TS and JC embroidered on each shoe.
After two decades of reppin’ Nike and Terror Squad on his feet, hip-hop’s sneaker king finally received his flowers in the form of Forces that everyone can now rock. Even Kamala Harris has a pair, which Fat Joe hand-delivered to the vice president on a visit to the White House. – Aaron Dodson
Everything’s for sale
Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Brands and boutiques are suffering due to the waning interest in purchasing sneakers and apparel. With less money in consumers’ pockets, a new pair of Dunks is lower on the list than it once was. Inventory stays on shelves longer, becoming less desirable each day. Smaller boutiques that take care to stock interesting new brands alongside the big names aren’t clearing their already thin margins, which leaves little money to invest in new products, and corporations who’ve neglected innovation for lazy collaborations and boring colorways pressure stockists when they are the reason the product isn’t moving in the first place.
Now, brands are left with no choice but to mark down the items. It’s especially pronounced this time of year when consumers are inundated with emails and ads across their social media feeds announcing deep discounts for Black Friday and beyond — sometimes as much as 70% off. Most of us could use a deal due to enduring inflation, slowing economic growth, and an ever-widening income inequality gap. This doesn’t even factor in brands marking up items absurdly high with the goal of putting them on “sale” later on (and still garnering a substantial profit), or the consumerist culture that encourages us to buy things that we don’t need and sometimes don’t even want, because they’re sold at a discount.
Sneakerheads will always buy sneakers, whether they need them or not. But buying something because you want it and buying something just because it’s on sale are two different things. Further interrogation of our purchasing habits, good faith pricing, and more opportunities given to young creatives leading the way in design and storytelling are the only things that can get us out of this sales death spiral. – Greg Whitt
Adidas moved on with Yeezy minus Ye
AP Photo/Seth Wenig
Kanye West made several anti-semitic and racist marks on social media, Paris runways, and television in 2022. His words and actions caused many of his big-name partners to rethink their relationship with the controversial rapper. Adidas dissolved its almost 10-year partnership with Ye in 2022, leaving more than 1.3 billion worth of unsold Yeezys in their factories. The company said restitching the shoes and selling them as something else felt dishonest while giving them away to those in need might give way to informal resales. They decided that selling what inventory they could and splitting the profits between themselves and groups like the Anti-Defamation League and the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change was their best move.
In May 2023, Adidas began selling their existing foam runners and new designs that the company and Ye designated for future release. Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden hinted at contractual obligations between his company and Ye when asked what, if any, profits the company owes Ye from selling his designed sneakers. Adidas expected future Yeezy sales to juice their earnings this year. The company didn’t divulge how much of the proceeds went to charity, but Gulden believes the company might write off the remaining $320 million of unsold products.
“There is no place in sport or society for hate of any kind and we remain committed to fighting against it,” said Gulden. The company did its best in a bad situation by taking care of its financial obligations while spreading wealth around in the process. – Marcus Shorter
Anthony Edwards is a signature sneaker star in the making
David Berding/Getty Images
As the NBA gets younger by the year, so have the faces headlining the league’s signature sneaker lines. Only four players over age 35 — LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose and Stephen Curry — still have an active signature line. By comparison, there are currently 10 NBA players 25 years old or younger with a signature sneaker, including Jayson Tatum, Ja Morant, Austin Reaves, Devin Booker, Scoot Henderson and Anthony Edwards, all of whom received their debut shoes in 2023.
Out of that group, 22-year-old Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards just might be the most exciting young signature headliner in the league. Adidas officially released the AE1 on Dec. 16, after first unveiling Edwards’ debut shoe this past summer at a special event in his hometown of Atlanta. With a sleek, futuristic silhouette and vibrant orange-cream lead colorway, the AE1 is it.
Adidas also hasn’t hesitated to showcase the charismatic, confident and country persona of the brand’s newest signature basketball athlete. During the first week of the NBA season, the brand dropped a 45-second spot featuring footage of Edwards pulling out pairs of fellow NBA players’ shoes. One by one, Edwards tosses each shoe aside before the video ends with his bold proclamation: The AE1 is the best signature shoe in the NBA. “You know how I know?” Edwards says in the commercial. “Because they mine … Believe that.”
Honestly, Ant and Adidas might be a match that’s built to last. – Aaron Dodson
The Midwest made moves
The Midwest put New York City and California on notice in 2023. And they did so by keeping their culture and cities firmly at the forefront of every move they made.
Rick Williams’ love for Detroit bled through his Puma Suede design in tribute to rap trio Slum Village and the city they call home. To Williams, T3, Baatin, and J Dilla are just as important to hip-hop as they are to Detroit.
Matt Tomamichel saw several years of hard work and sacrifice culminate in a collaboration with Jordan Brand for the Corporate Air Ship. Inspired by Cincinnati, a 2003 Toyota Corolla, and Tomamichel’s sneaker boutique, the shoe has its own flavor.
Then there’s Chicago’s Joe Freshgoods. The Chitown native connected with Vans for a footwear and apparel capsule inspired by The Negro Motorist Green Book, and built on his relationship with New Balance. Freshgoods expanded New Balance’s reach with his version of the 610 hiking shoe, reimagined the 650 basketball sneaker in the image of Michael Jordan, and refashioned the 990v4 as an homage to Hype Williams’ Belly. If there’s anything that says sneaker culture and hip-hop are intertwined, it’s dedicating a shoe to a movie starring DMX, Nas, and Method Man.
Besides their Midwestern roots, Tomamichel, Williams, and Freshgoods share a passion for their hometowns. The Puma Suede and the Corporate Air Ship have their respective cities stitched into the fabric. Freshgoods centered his marketing campaign for the 650s around the Jumpman silhouette that put Chicago on the sports map in the 1990s. More than fashion statements, these kicks double as mini history lessons.
The creative voices emerging from looked-over cities sound different enough from their counterparts on the coasts that shoe companies must pay attention.
The Midwest got something to say. – Marcus Shorter
Ja Morant’s Nike signature sneaker survives
Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images
Few players in the NBA possess the athletic prowess of Ja Morant, arguably one of the brightest young stars on the court today. However, his off-the-court actions threatened to derail his first Nike signature sneaker before it could reach retail.
In December 2022, Nike confirmed Morant would join the ranks of athletes with a signature sneaker and the Ja 1. “It’s something I dreamed of and wanted all along,” Morant said in advance of the line’s release. “Finally, I got it.” The launch colorway, dubbed the “Day One,” sold out immediately in April.
Then came trouble. Two gun videos on Instagram Live in three months ultimately led to Morant being suspended eight games near the end of last season and then serving a 25-game suspension to open the 2023-2024 NBA season.
For its part, Nike stood behind the two-time All-Star. “We will continue to support him on and off the court,” the company said in a statement after Morant’s most recent suspension was announced. Even without Morant on the court or present in marketing campaigns, each subsequent Ja 1 colorway — of which there have been nearly 25 — sold out via Nike.com.
Morant made an immediate impact when he returned to the court this month. He wore a simple white and yellow Ja 1 while Nike released the “Xmas” pair online earlier the same day.
As it stands, Morant serves as the future of the brand in basketball. He’s the only Gen Z signature athlete on the roster as LeBron James and Kevin Durant enter their careers’ late stages. But, if Morant wants to see his line succeed like theirs, he’ll have to stay on the court to make that happen. – John Gotty
Jordan retros fading out of popularity
Nike
Retro models selling out has been a reliable outcome for Jordan Brand and its Nike mothership for many years. However, some eyebrow-raising data from the resale market asks whether that trend will continue. Reuters recently reported that the average premium paid on new releases of Nike’s Air Jordan 1 Retro High plummeted from a record high of 61% in 2020 down to 4% in 2023. That’s the difference between paying $100 over the retail price to less than $10 extra.
In addition, anecdotal data has proliferated across social media showing models that were expected to be coveted still on shelves long after the release date for the retail price and, in some cases, on sale. As I write this, the Jordan II “Origins” model is available on Nike.com in a wide array of sizes, a handful of the latest Air Jordan 5 x A Ma Maniére collaborations are still waiting for a good home, and the “Gratitude” colorway of the Jordan XI remains available, too.
Sneakerheads often bemoan the existence and influence of the resale market. However, it’s hard to deny the utility of monitoring the resale values of sneakers as a way to track both broader trends and the popularity of specific models. Nike and Jordan Brand remain extremely popular, but the rocketship growth pattern of the past several years appears to be slowing down. – Greg Whitt
Jae Tips and Saucony made noise
Every year, footwear experiences a new person or group who manages to cut through all the noise with standout products. 2023’s person is Jae Tips.
Tips collaborated with Saucony on three well-received shoes — the wildly colorful “Remember Who Fronted” Grid Azura 2000 and two Grid Shadow 2s for the “What’s the Occasion?” pack, released in May and December, respectively. But Tips didn’t blow up out of thin air. He’s worked for years as a rapper and later a frequent Hat Club design partner to build a following that supports his work. Bringing that community with him, Tips provided a level of fanfare we’re not accustomed to associating with Saucony sneakers. It was the kind of attention brands yearn for when they work with collaborators. Now that he’s on the radar of more fans and footwear brands, hopefully, Tips can maintain the momentum in 2024. – John Gotty
James Whitner accused in money laundering scheme
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Footwear News
James Whitner, owner of The Whitaker Group, and his brands/boutiques A Ma Maniere and Social Status are best known for releasing high-quality sneakers and apparel informed by thoughtful storytelling and attention to detail. Whitner also uses his stores to sell some of the dopest Jordan collaborations and as hubs for innovation and community engagement. That’s why the news of a federal investigation against the Pittsburgh native shocked sneakerheads and industry watchers alike. According to court filings, federal officials allege Whitner was involved in a money laundering scheme to the tune of $32 million.
The alleged scheme involved a plan to receive payments for improperly reselling shoes and apparel to Chinese sellers over five years. Some of those goods include what court documents describe as ones from an “Oregon-based sneaker company.” Soon after the allegations were made public, Whitner denied any wrongdoing via a statement, calling the accusations “unfounded, unrelated to our business or this community, and unjustified.”
So far, Whitner has not been charged with a crime. And he’s done tremendous work in centering Black people in many of his efforts. However, if these allegations are true, it might make some look at Whitner and his work in a different light. Until then, we should reserve judgment and wait for the facts to come out. – Greg Whitt
Eastside Golf paid homage to Black golfers of the past
Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl A. Cooper saw an opening in golf fashion and sewed it up. Literally. Their Eastside Golf brand, built on their shared passion for the sport, speaks specifically to Black Americans who want to hit the links without sacrificing style. Their partnership with Michael Jordan paid dividends this year as they released their third Jordan Brand collaboration, the “Change. 1961” collection.
Eastside’s latest collection draws its name from the year the PGA lifted its “Caucasian-only clause,” which is a historical fact some would like to forget. Ajanaku and Cooper released a shoe designed to raise pulses and engage with the sport’s checkered past. Anyone who watched Grails, Eastside’s 2022 Hulu docuseries, knows the business partners believe their status comes with great responsibility. As far as Eastside is concerned, reminding the golf world about pros like Bill Spiller is necessary.
Eastside Golf is the game’s present and future, but none of that matters if they let anyone, especially the PGA, forget its recent past. – Marcus Shorter
Kyrie Irving’s sneaker free agency ends with Anta
Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images
It’s been a year since the messy breakup between Kyrie Irving and Nike ended the eight-time All-Star and NBA champion point guard’s longtime endorsement deal and successful signature sneaker line with the Swoosh.
The partnership between Irving and Nike — which started during his rookie season in 2011 and yielded the design of eight signature models — began to sour in the summer of 2022 when Irving posted a photo on social media of the then-upcoming Kyrie 8 and blasted the shoe. “I have nothing to do with the design or marketing,” Irving wrote. “In my opinion, these are trash!” Initially, Nike suspended Irving’s endorsement deal, which expired on Oct. 1, 2022, and scrapped the release of the Kyrie 8 before the relationship reached an even more controversial crossroads when Irving posted a link to a book and film that featured antisemitic messaging. After company co-founder Phil Knight publicly condemned Irving’s actions, Nike officially terminated the partnership, though Irving’s agent deemed the decision a mutual parting of ways. Instantly, Irving became the NBA’s most sought-after sneaker free agent, having spent the past decade-plus steering the designs of one of the most respected and worn signature lines in all of basketball.
This past summer, Irving signed a new, five-year endorsement deal with Chinese footwear company Anta. And in September, the brand unveiled a signature logo that will be featured on his first shoe, scheduled to debut in 2024. Irving will join Golden State Warriors star and four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson as the only two players in the NBA with signature shoes designed by Anta. – Aaron Dodson
Union creates this year’s most unique Air Jordan 1
Beth Birkett Gibbs and Chris Gibbs have woven their love of design, fashion, and each other into a beautiful tapestry that includes two children, a Los Angeles boutique and in-house brand called Union, creative incubator Bephie’s Beauty Supply, and a string of some of the most sought after Nike collaborations in history (the Union 180s from the 2005 Clerks pack remain my white whale). Their most recent collaboration with Jordan Brand on the BBS Air Jordan I encapsulates Chris and Beth’s relationship and the influences that tie them together in one of the most unique sneakers of the year.
The accompanying marketing campaign featured the couple’s son and his girlfriend and harkened back to when Chris and Beth met in the summer of 1996. The sneaker’s design nods to the Air Footscape’s woven details, representing two people weaving their lives together and their Caribbean ancestry. Beth’s Jamaican roots, in particular, influence the design by reflecting some of the handwoven clothing and wicker furniture seen in her home and community in her youth. The color palette speaks to the passing of time and feels inspired by the couple’s pre-gentrification Brooklyn origin story. But the kinetic green and university gold hits bring the design firmly into the present and beyond.
With some sneakerheads lamenting the lack of innovation and creativity in collaborations over the past few years and an unusual number of Jordans remaining on shelves, Beth and Chris’ Union stands out as the source of a seemingly endless fountain of creativity and one of the most reliable collaborators in fashion. – Greg Whitt
Air — an ode to a Black mother
A few years ago, ESPN’s 10-part docuseries The Last Dance delivered a major revelation about how Michael Jordan first signed with Nike in 1984 — and, ultimately, emerged into “Air Jordan.”
MJ’s mother — Deloris Jordan — was the real MVP in the sneaker endorsement courtship of her then–21–year–old son ahead of his rookie NBA season. And Mama J made sure young MJ — who initially wanted nothing to do with Nike — took a meeting with the Beaverton, Oregon-based sportswear company.
A Black mother’s role in, perhaps, the single most important decision made in sneaker history is the driving force of Air: Courting a Legend, the Amazon Studios feature film that hit theaters on April 5. Before filming, Jordan told director Ben Affleck that he only wanted one actor to portray his mother in Air: Oscar-winner Viola Davis.
Davis accepted the role and delivered in her portrayal of the woman behind the most colossal figure in the history of sneakers.
Don’t be surprised when the Academy Awards nominate Air for Best Picture. And Davis had better be in the running for Best Actress. – Aaron Dodson
Jerry Lorenzo’s Fear of God Athletics had a rough initial launch
Fear of God
Adidas and Jerry Lorenzo’s new label, Fear of God Athletics, finally launched its first capsule collection this year, and the feedback wasn’t the best. The release arrived after a few years of gestation, which left people wondering what the hold-up was. When it was finally released, nothing about the products made the wait appear worthwhile.
The apparel wasn’t a substantial departure from what already exists with Lorenzo’s two other lines, Fear of God and Essentials. However, $300 ponchos, $350 hoodies and $600 car coats are likely more than the average Adidas customer might want to dish out. And those who did purchase the clothes voiced complaints about the fit, which helped shape the initial online reception.
All the fuss for the apparel overshadowed what wound up being a decent trio of footwear in the ’86 Low, Los Angeles Runner, and One Model — plus a modernized version of the Adilette slide. The three sneakers all pulled elements or complete silhouettes from Adidas’s extensive archive, then modernized them through slimmer shapes, upgraded materials, and colors aligned with Lorenzo’s signature muted color palette.
Anyone hoping Lorenzo could fill the Kanye-sized gap at Adidas was left waiting for now. Hopefully, Lorenzo can release Fear of God Athletics collections more frequently now that he and Adidas have worked out the kinks that held up the first drop. – John Gotty