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Sneakerheads know that Travis Scott is one of the biggest names out in the sneaker game (he happens to rap too, by the way) and interestingly enough the man is also known for giving away his own personal pairs of sneaker to both fans and his fellow Hip-Hop peers.
Continuing to hold true to his own tradition, Wednesday (Jan. 3), Travis Scott once again broke the sneaker internet when he blessed a kid with a pair of his own unreleased signature Nikes dubbed the Sharkidons during his show in Chicago, according to Hypebeast. After rapping alongside the unnamed fan, Travis gave him the Sharkidons and returned to the stage and said: “They’re my favorite pair of shoes so don’t sell them.”
Yeah, good luck with that, Trav.
The unreleased Travis Scott Sharkidons seem to resemble the ’90s Nike Huarache silhouette with the strap and sport a brown and beige color blocking with a white swoosh. Unfortunately, they don’t have the reverse swoosh that’s become synonymous with Scott’s Nike collaboration. That little hiccup alone could cost this release much hype. Just sayin’.
Still, the fan went home happy, and Scott’s sneaker generous legend continues to grow. It was a win-win for everyone.
Check out the clips below and let us know your thoughts on the “Sharkidons” in the comments section below.
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After more than a quarter century, the business relationship between Tiger Woods and Nike seems to be coming to an end.
According to Front Office Sports, Nike seems to be ready to move on from Tiger Woods as the man’s career on the golf course is winding down, and his retirement seems inevitable. Having signed to Nike back in 1996 when he was only 20 years old (God, time flies), the Swoosh brand has put hundreds of millions of dollars in the iconic golfer’s bank account over the decades, but it seems like that lucrative relationship is about to wrap up sooner than later.
Per Front Office Sports:
On Monday, the “No Laying Up” golf podcast – which in the past has provided early insight into major shake-ups in pro golf, such as defections from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf – reported that next week’s PNC Championship could be Woods’s last tournament wearing the Swoosh.
NLU also reported similar rumblings about other Nike golf athletes — a roster that includes Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, and Scottie Scheffler — based on the idea that an existing golf equipment manufacturer is potentially creating an apparel brand. Since Nike stopped manufacturing clubs in 2016, Wood has used clubs from TaylorMade, which sells some golf apparel but doesn’t have as vast a collection as Nike.
Since returning from ankle surgery in 2022, Woods has notably played golf tournaments wearing FootJoy shoes.
We’re not gonna lie, this isn’t devastating anyone on our side of things. We can’t remember the last time we were hype for the latest Tiger Woods Nike collection to drop, but then again, we don’t be out on the golf course like that… or ever.
Who Nike has in mind to carry on their golf apparel is anyone’s guess, but best believe we won’t be turning up whenever a new face of their golfing franchise is announced. Maybe if they brought back Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore character we’d be slightly interested to see what they have coming down the pike. Just sayin’.
What do y’all think of Nike and Tiger Woods ending their partnership? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: Nike / NIke
Once again Nike is back in court on the offensive as they’ve decided to bring yet another lawsuit against a few competitors who they feel are infringing on their creations.
According to Complex, Nike has filed a few patent infringement lawsuits against both Skechers and New Balance for biting their beloved Flyknit technology and using it on their own footwear silhouettes. Suing both companies for “unauthorized use of it’s patented technology,” Nike is looking to shut down both brands from continuing to produce and sell it’s increasingly popular footwear lines.
Citing dozens of Skechers models and 21 New Balance sneakers in their lawsuit which they allege ripped off their Flyknit tech, Nike wants the courts to step in and not only award them damages, but also stop both companies from continuing to bank off what they say was their original creation.
Complex reports:
Nike holds a number of different patents for its Flyknit material, the first of which was granted in September 2012.
Nike has sued Skechers over alleged Flyknit infringement before, but this is the first time the brand has taken aim at New Balance. In January, Nike contacted New Balance in an attempt to flag the issue before going through with the lawsuit, but claims New Balance has instead “only escalated the scope of its infringing activities.”
Nike isn’t playing when it comes to their chips. Whether you’re an independent sneaker creator or a big conglomerate of a company, if they feel your hand in their pocket, they’ll try to cut it off. Heck, it might get to the point where Nike starts suing customers for not rocking their footwear with the proper attire and making them look bad.
Following the lawsuit, New Balance decided to acknowledge the situation and released a statement on the matter.
“New Balance fully respects competitors’ intellectual property rights, but Nike does not own the exclusive right to design and produce footwear by traditional manufacturing methods that have been used in the industry for decades. We will vigorously defend ourselves against Nike’s attempts to enforce its patents beyond their lawful scope.”
When reached for comment, Skechers declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Skechers doesn’t want that Nike smoke and might fold quick-fast. New Balance meanwhile seems ready to fight to the end to maintain it’s growing popularity.
What do y’all think of Nike slapping New Balance and Skechers with this lawsuit? Are they justified or just plain old greedy at this point? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Source: NIKE / NIke
NIKE continues to grow one of their most important partnerships with care. The Doernbecher Freestyle XIX Collection has been unveiled.
Source: NIKE / NIke
On Friday, October 27 the sports apparel company announced the latest installment of releases in conjunction with the Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU) Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. Originally launched in 2004 the program has raised over $33 million dollars for the medical facility that provides pediatric care. Each year the program gives six OHSU patients the distinct opportunity to design footwear, clothing and accessories that are auctioned as per the hospital’s fundraiser.
“Created with a team of Nike product experts volunteering their time and expertise, each patient’s collection items are adorned with intricate details, hidden messages and unexpected color palettes to represent their individual passions, life experiences, medical journeys and relationships” the press release read. This year’s drops will highlight six iconic NIKE silhouettes including the Air Jordan III, a Nike Dunk High, a Nike Go FlyEase, a Nike ACG Mountain Fly 2 Low, a Nike Cortez and a Nike Air Max 1 ’86.
Each of the pieces, ranging from tops, hats, bags and sneakers, all carry the patient-designer’s thematic through out. Hugo Covarrubias Molina’s Air Jordan III for example feature his catch phrase “It’s OK To Be Different” on a transparent outsole with matching green slime on the heel and quarter panel. Hailey Leyva’s Air Max ‘86 has five hand drawn hearts, each representing the members of her family, on the toe box.
The NIKE Doernbecher Freestyle XIC Collection will be available in December. You can read more about the partnership here.
Source: Nike / NIke
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Over the last few years high-stakes sneaker heists have become routine as the sneaker business is just as profitable as anything else out here on these streets. The trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon as everyone out here is looking to make bank off the ever-growing sneaker culture.
CBS Chicago is reporting that police in the Windy City uncovered a den of stolen sneakers in a warehouse on the West Side of Chicago that housed millions of dollars worth of stolen Nikes, Jordans and Yeezy sneakers that were lifted off of freight trains carrying the valuable footwear. Apparently the hot merchandise was transported there from all corners of the United States to the Austin-based warehouse and flipped to retailers who had no idea that they were buying stolen sneakers.
CBS Chicago reports:
“Whether it be Nike products or UGG products or Adidas or Supreme, a lot of massive amounts of property, it’s probably close to $5 million in merchandise, minimum,” said Lyons Police Chief Tom Heroin.
The massive bust was the result of an investigation by the Lyons Police Department after a cargo theft was reported in the village about a week ago. That led investigators to the warehouse, where a search warrant was issued, and the mother load of theft rings was uncovered.
The site was already on the radar of multiple railroad companies and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office as rail cargo thefts have surged nationwide and become costly for companies.
“What they would do is they’d commit these cargo thefts, like from Memphis, Tennessee. They’d re-label it, and they would ship it here. They would unpackage it, repackage it, and it’s a 100% markup, because they got it all for nothing,” Heroin said.
That sounds like quite the operation that required much man power and coordination. Though only two people have been arrested and charged in connection with the bust, a few others are under investigation. Who knows how many other dominos will fall as a result given the size and scope of this undertaking.
The Lyons Police Department is expected to hold a press conference later this week to explain its finding in the case and information on the individuals involved in the investigation, but what sneaker heads really want to know is which grails were found in this massive bust. Limited edition Jordans? Jarrito Dunks? Supreme Dunks? We. Must. Know!
What do y’all think of this latest massive sneaker bust? Inside job or very well coordinated crooks? Sound off in the comments section below.
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Source: Jordan Brand / Jordan Brand
If we’ve learned nothing else about Nike it’s that they’re all about their bottom line, so when they decided they’d begin selling refurbished sneakers on a new website, we weren’t really too surprised.
As part of their “Move To Zero” initiative to curb global warming, this week Nike launched a new program on their website dubbed “Nike Refurbished” where they began selling “new” sneakers that have been returned, exchanged or simply didn’t hit the shelves due to small imperfections. The best part is that lots of these sneakers are being sold at a discount of up to 50% off original retail price. Of course sneakerheads are hoping to stumble upon some grails, but chances are you won’t as real heads will hold onto some exclusive kicks or wear them until the sole falls off.
Do expect to see lots of Air Jordan 1’s, 2’s, and 5’s that bricked upon arrival or that were returned when resellers saw that there wasn’t a market for them. Just sayin.’
Per Nike:
What shoes are eligible for Nike refurbished?
Nike footwear that cannot be sold as brand new is eligible for Nike Refurbished. This could include a pair that a consumer returned or exchanged from a recent purchase because it wasn’t quite right for them, or shoes with a small imperfection. All product is then inspected, graded and refurbished by hand by a team of experts.
Well, at least you know you’ll be getting an authentic pair of Nike sneakers if they have their own experts inspecting them. Don’t expect find any Off-White’s, Travis Scott’s or any other top tier collaboration on Nike’s Refurbished site though. Y’all already know sneaker aficionados would rather hold those for the rest of their lives before handing them back to Nike regardless of how it might help slow climate change. Heads will keep that heat for the feet until they disintegrate even if it means earth’s temperature continues to rise to unsustainable levels.
That’s just the sneaker game.
What do y’all think of Nike’s Refurbished sneakers program? Let us know in the comment section below.
It’s early afternoon on Friday (August 25), the last day of class for students at this year’s No Label Academy (NLA) music business program. IDK, his team and I are driving to Harvard Medical School for two lectures on mental health. He maintains a calm demeanor, and is focused and pensive, as he prepares for one last session of helping his nearly two dozen students realize their personal and artistic potential.
“I felt like there was a lot of people like me who may not have the academic accolades but have the capability to be successful in music,” IDK tells Billboard in the backseat of a black Chevy Suburban. “They just needed the confidence.”
Two years ago, the Maryland rapper-producer and entrepreneur (born Jason Mills) and Boston-based non-profit No Label sought to break down the barriers to entry into the music industry by holding their first-ever No Label Academy. The nine-day seminar, held at Harvard University offers advice, resources, job opportunities and internships surrounding various topics in the music industry, and is “aimed at democratizing and improving opportunities for students from systemically disadvantaged backgrounds interested in careers in the music business,” a press release explains. The program is open to applicants ages 18 to 25, regardless of collegiate status, and also includes wellness exercises like morning workouts, meditation and daily affirmations.
This year, NLA returned for its second iteration — and invited Billboard to sample the experience, paying for this reporter’s lodging and transportation to visit the academy. Due to the busy schedules of IDK and No Label’s co-founders Marcelo Hanta-Davis and Miles Weddle, the program took around a year and a half to curate. After an application process consisting of a resumé submission, interview rounds and a video essay, 23 students were chosen to participate in the immersive music business course.
2021’s guest speakers included the late Virgil Abloh, Mike Dean and Zane Lowe. This year’s iteration follows suit with lectures from star rappers Roddy Ricch and Joey Badass, award-winning actress Issa Rae, celebrity stylist Bloody Osiris and more. And thanks to high-profile sponsors like Nike, Dior, Converse, Jordan Brand, Warner Music Group, Microsoft, Timberland and YouTube, transportation, lodging and meals are fully covered — making the program free for the students.
Joey Badass lecturing No Label Academy’s 2023 student cohort at Harvard University’s Science and Engineering Complex.
Lev Diamond
“Most stuff in entertainment is driven by financial decisions – and that’s not a core component to what it is we do here,” says Weddle, who is also a Harvard alumnus. “We’ve never paid a speaking fee, so every artist who comes here is really doing it because they want to give back to the community and educate individuals. The primary driver of our ability to do this is sponsor dollars.”
Weddle and fellow Harvard alumnus Marcelo Hanta-Davis founded No Label in 2018 to “utilize hip-hop and popular culture to make education more accessible,” says Hanta-Davis. “We’ve found this niche space of bringing hip-hop and academia together.” The idea for NLA came to fruition after the co-founders invited IDK to give a lecture on criminal justice reform at the Ivy League school for No Label’s Uncut speaker series in February 2020.
“I’m a middle-class person who went to prison, partially because I went to a bad school in a bad area,” the 31-year-old told Billboard in 2020. “Then I go back four times on the same exact charge … because I didn’t take home detention or violated this or that. Knowledge and education are important for empowerment, especially in the Black community.”
Hanta-Davis and Weddle maintained their relationship with IDK throughout the pandemic and combined their platforms to ideate No Label Academy. “We determined that there was a need for some kind of music education, and we thought we had a platform based in terms of our relationship with Harvard as alumni,” says Weddle.
IDK made sense as a professor given both the real-life hardships he endured and the first-hand experience he has a signed musician. In the mid-2010s IDK (which stands for “Ignorantly Delivering Knowledge”) began releasing mixtapes as an independent artist. In 2019, his label Clue Records signed a joint venture with Warner Records and released his critically acclaimed breakthrough album Is He Real? the same year. Four albums followed including 2021’s USEE4YOURSELF which reached No. 164 on the Billboard 200 and this year’s F65, which reached No. 21 on the Heatseekers Albums chart and features other big names like NLE Choppa, Musiq Soulchild, Snoop Dogg and more.
But as much success as he’s had as an artist, he’s finding even more satisfaction in his new role as a professor — to the point where he may consider teaching above making music in the future. “I’ve seen a few people cry a few times. I see people really trust the way that I think and the way that I look at things — their willingness to listen and learn,” he says. “There was a Harvard professor [who] is making synthetic hearts… he said he was inspired by what I do and wants to change the way he teaches his course after coming to my class two times. For me, to come from not really graduating high school properly, it means a lot.”
When asked if Harvard has remained cooperative while hosting NLA, he answers vaguely but alludes to the recent reversal of affirmative action in college admissions proving this year’s planning process to be difficult — even though NLA is merely using the institution’s facilities. (Back in June, the Supreme Court overturned affirmative action in college admissions, “declaring race cannot be a factor and forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies,” according to AP.)
“I can’t really speak on the affirmative action thing, honestly,” he says. “It’s still an ongoing thing that we are working to make sure we’re doing right in representing Harvard in a way that they felt was good and also we felt was accurate.”
@leviberlin
Once we arrive at Harvard Medical School, IDK meets up with LaShyra “Lash” Nolen, who walks us inside. Nolen is in her last year at the school, and is the first Black woman to be named Harvard Medical School’s class president. She is an advisor to NLA (along with Brian Price, clinical professor of law at Harvard Law School) and the next speaker for the day.
The last day of class at this year’s No Label Academy is almost identical to the previous four days of the week. Students start the day with 6:00 a.m. workouts, followed by breakfast, meditations, then lectures running from 9:00 a.m. to around 5:00 p.m., with breaks and lunch in between. Each day has a theme – like monetization, financial literacy or mental health — along with surprise guest lecturers.
“My own experience is probably the most important factor to this course,” says IDK. “When you go to school, oftentimes the people who are teaching, especially in music, aren’t currently practicing. And even if they are, they may not have the time to practice full-time. Every guest speaker, at least 99% of them, are personal friends, or people that I’ve met along my journey, and I just reach out to them. I personally believe they add value to what we are trying to do and our mission.”
Following Nolen, Chicago artist Saba and TDE rapper Ab-Soul join Friday’s class to discuss their personal bouts with mental health. The latter opens up about his suicide attempt, what he prefers to call his “near-death experience,” fighting addiction and moving forward. Saba primarily touches on grief (the lyricist lost a handful of his family and friends to violence in a short amount of time) and the pressures of fame and being a provider.
“I think grief is one of the most informative experiences,” Saba says to the class. “Grief can be so many different versions of pain. It’s inevitable and shows you yourself. Grief taught me that everybody going through some s–t.”
Whereas the past few weeks concluded with studio time, Friday evening is more celebratory, with a joint graduation ceremony/fashion show dinner ceremony held at Harvard Art Museum. The students walk a rose-lined runway to accept their certificates of completion while modeling their custom Dior uniforms, designed by IDK and Kim Jones, the fashion house’s men’s artistic director. Rapper and Massachusetts native Bia also stops by to perform at the students’ after party.
NLA 2023 graduate Zahir Muhammad, a 21-year-old rising film/music video director and senior at LSU, says the entire experience has been incredible for him. “I love learning [and] it’s been great having no limit on how much I can learn from everybody here,” he shares.
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“The first day of class, the theme was vulnerability,” Muhammad continues. “IDK said, ‘If you all can make it through this day, then you can make it through anything the entire week.’ None of us knew why he said that, but that whole day was [us] sharing the things we hated about [ourselves]. Everybody was crying but supporting each other. He basically broke us all the way down and built us all the way back up by the end of the week.”
In the future, as funding and time permit, IDK, Weddle and Hanta-Davis plan to expand NLA to colleges and universities nationwide.
“Sometimes we don’t acknowledge the knowledge that we have, because we may have not accomplished some of the things that society deems makes [us] valuable,” says IDK. “This program is a demonstration of perseverance, belief and the ability to never take ‘no’ for an answer — and showing how far that can take you if you have an actual plan that makes sense.”
IDK and No Label Academy’s 2023 student cohort.
Tito Garcia
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After a year of back-and-forth in a court of law, Nike and a Kool Kiy partner have reached a settlement on a trademark infringement lawsuit that the Swoosh brand filed against Kool Kiy in 2022.
Nice Kicks is reporting that Nike and Kool Kiy partners David Weeks and Nickwon Arvinger have seemingly settled their lawsuit filed, Aug. 23, in which Nike accused the up and coming brand of straight biting their Air Jordan 1 silhouette with minor differences and making a profit off of it. Real talk, a lot of heads were copping those Kool Kiy kicks as they weren’t half bad. Yes, they looked like OG Air Jordan 1s, but instead of a Swoosh check they sported a lightning bolt logo on the side.
Nice Kicks reports:
The court ordered that defendant David Weeks admit that Nike is the exclusive owner of all registered trademarks named in the lawsuit.
Additionally, the judge ordered that Weeks would no longer be able to produce and distribute Kool Kiy’s shoes.
On February 15, Kool Kiy filed a counter lawsuit that stated that customers wanted a product different from the “norm” and that Kool Kiy’s registered Lightning Bolt trademark logo did not resemble the Nike Swoosh. The new ruling dismissed all of Kool Kiy’s counterclaims against Nike.
Yeah, the reasoning behind Kool Kiy’s countersuit didn’t have a chance in hell. Just sayin’.
The news comes a year after Nike reached a settlement with John Geiger over his trademark Infringement as he was using the Nike Air Force 1 silhouette to create his own GF-01 sneakers that bore a striking resemblance to the classic Nike silhouette.
In the past few years, Nike hasn’t been scared to flex their legal muscle as they’ve been suing any and everyone they feel are exploiting their products for their own personal financial gain. From custom designers to Stock X, no one is safe if they’re messing with Nike’s billion dollar empire. Heck, if you go viral for dancing wrong in a pair of SB Dunks, Nike might serve you with a legal notice to stop dancing in their products. It’s that real.
What do y’all think of Nike settling with Kool Kiy? Will you miss the Kool Kiy kicks with the lightening bolt? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Just when it seemed like high-stakes sneaker theft was a thing of the past, thieves hit another major lick and made off with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of Nike sneakers this week. However, they didn’t get far.
According to WREG News 3, a group of men broke into a boxcar in North Memphis Monday (Aug. 14), and stole $400,000 worth of Nike’s in the wee hours of the morning. Unfortunately for them, police were quickly alerted to the robbery and showed up while the robbery was in process. With five cars parked on the scene of the crime including four Nissans and a Honda, police knew it was about to go down, and down it went.
WREG reports:
According to reports, multiple suspects were wearing dark clothing and ski masks. They were seen carrying multiple boxes from a train to their cars.
Officers attempted to stop some of the suspects, but four of them fled the scene on foot. After a chase, officers caught Terry Sullivan, who had a Nissan key in his front pocket.
Another suspect, Robert Doyle, ran inside the business warehouse, which MPD says only had one door. An employee locked him in, and police went in and saw him hiding under a large toolbox.
The other two suspects on foot got away.
During the incident, police say a black Nissan Maxima carrying more men sped past them and was able to get away.
As for Robert Doyle and Terry Sullivan, both men were booked and charged with five counts of Burglary of a Vehicle and Theft of Property $60,000 – $250,000. Don’t be surprised if they start dropping dime to escape doing a lengthy prison sentence. All over sneakers.
As crazy as these hits have become over the past few years, sneakerheads really just want to know which sneakers were stolen and whether or not it’ll affect their chances of getting the exclusive grails that are hard enough to cop as is. Did these thieves ransack a bunch of bricks that no one wants, or were they tipped off that this truck had some unreleased retro Jordans or SB Dunks that we’ve been waiting on?
We need some sneaker police on these cases to let us know so we can be either horrified, or breathe a sigh of relief. Just sayin’.
What do y’all think? Sound off in the comments section below.
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We’re still a week and change away from celebrating Kobe Day, but thanks to Nike, the legacy of one Kobe Bean Bryant is continuously finding new ways to live on. The University of Kentucky has been chosen to be the first school to implement the inaugural Mamba Program.
According to Hypebeast, Vanessa Bryant handpicked coach John Calipari’s program to initiate the Mamba Program. The program will have its players sporting Mamba-branded attire including apparel and sneakers such as the Kobe 11s, which will feature the UK branding on the insoles along with the Mamba logo on the tongue for the 2023/24 season.
Y’all know those Kentucky Wildcat players are going to be balling extra hard this season in those… if they don’t resell them anyway.
Hypebeast reports:
Prior to the official partnership, the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, a charitable foundation conceived in memory of Kobe and his daughter Gianna “GiGi” Bryant, presented the team with Mambacita Kobe 4s during Kentucky’s venture to Toronto’s GLOBL JAM. Coach Calipari also became the recipient of a personal gesture from the Bryant family, receiving a pair of Mambacitas, a Gigi Bryant jersey and Kobe’s book, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play.
Kentucky’s deep connection with the Bryant legacy was further exemplified when the state hosted the Mamba Skills Academy last year, an initiative offering free basketball training to underprivileged children. Kobe’s eldest daughter, Natalia Bryant, along with the foundation, was part of the program.
Touching on the inaugural Mamba Program, Kat Conlon, the executive director of the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, shared “This is the first partnership with any university,” adding “Coach Calipari and Kobe Bryant had a very special relationship, so anything we can do with the foundation that continues to tell the stories of Kobe and Gianna Bryant, we are all game for it with the foundation.”
Y’all know those exclusive UK Kobe kicks are going to be going for a stack on the secondary market. Just sayin’.
Check out this throwback video of Calipari getting some exclusive Kobe kicks below, and let us know your thoughts on Nike’s latest venture in the comments section below.
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