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C O N T E N T S

3

INSIDER

7 Real Butter As the retailer turns 10, an inside look at its evolution.

10 FN Spy Del Toro’s next steps and Axel Arigato’s duo on key sneaker moments.

12 What’s Trending Inside Bailey’s exit at Burberry, and Steve Madden stays agile.

13 Under Armour’s Woes Challenges continue to mount for the athletic fi rm.

14 FN Insights Experts reveal how 3-D printing is redefi ning retail.

FEATURES

16 Show of Force Bella Hadid models Nike’s special Air Force 1 anniversary collection.

THE LIST

27 Shoe of the Week Fila throws it back to the ’90s with its revamped MB high-top.

28 Collect Calls See what people were selling and sporting at the Toronto Sneaker Con.

30 All In Agreement How Suicoke is turning sport sandals into a hip style statement.

30 Closet Case YouTube star “sWooZie” dishes on his personal kicks collection.

32 Supersize Me Go big or go home — that’s the motto for spring’s chunky sneakers.

33 Five Questions Entrepreneur guru Gary Vaynerchuk on designing with K-Swiss and the new business casual.

FN PICK

34 Star Power The Houston Astros score their fi rst MLB World Series win.

ON THE COVER Photographed by ERIC T. WHITE at the PMC studio in NYC.On Bella: Nike Air Force 1 Low Travis Scott sneakers, Courrèges jacket, Cushnie et Ochs skirt, Nike sports bra, Jennifer Fisher earrings.

22“I’m done with all Yeezys except the Wave Runner. I’m buying them.”Mike “Upscale Vandal” Camargo and other sneaker fans weigh in on the year’s most overhyped release and other hot topics.

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I N S I D E R

REALBUTTER

How does Extra Butter build on its successful 10-year

run? A store refresh, tighter product focus and

a stronger bond with sneaker fanatics.

By Peter Verry

Ankur Amin (L) and Bernie Gross during Extra

Butter’s Lower East Side NYC Renovation

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Although the retailer has gained

fans through its smart collabs, care-

fully curated product selection from

top brands and a trendy private-

label collection, it is stellar in-store

and digital experiences that set Ex-

tra Butter apart in the marketplace.

“Extra Butter are the kings at

delivering an experience to their

customer,” said Patrick Bunker,

trend sales key account manager

at Reebok. “Every project they

work on becomes a passion project

and means something to them and

their customers.”

And it’s that devotion to provid-

ing memories that will lead the

retailer into the future.

“The challenge is to have the

Extra Butter experience not be

about product. The premise is to

bring them in because we have

this incredible experience,”

Ankur Amin explained.

To elevate its in-store presenta-

tion, the retailer invested $900,000

in a massive renovation to its

Lower East Side door. The store,

which received a movie theater-in-

spired makeover that both sneaker

enthusiasts and film fans are sure

to love, opens Nov. 7.

But the refreshed door isn’t

the only notable alteration at the

retailer; the Extra Butter cast and

crew have also changed. Industry

veteran Jeff Staple joined as the

creative director of parent company

TGS in October 2016. And Paul Lee,

formerly of Philadelphia boutique

Ubiq, came on as the retailer’s GM

and buyer in July 2017.

“I’ve always had a ton of respect

for the owners of EB,” Lee said. “I’ve

always appreciated everything that

the brand has done culturally within

the sneaker world, so when the

opportunity came up for me to join

the team, I accepted. It felt right.”

Ahead of the store’s opening, the

Extra Butter team sat down

with Footwear News to talk best

and worst collabs, navigating

a changing environment and

what the retailer will look like

in 10 years.

What does EB at 10 mean to you?BG: “It’s an achievement a lot

of pioneering brands and

boutiques we grew up with

and find influential didn’t get

to see. From a professional point

of view, it’s something every

business wants to reach. From a

cultural point of view, we almost

have a responsibility of influencing

the next generation, influencing

how consumers and brands view

the brand and how we provide a

consumer experience.”

AA: “It wasn’t a personal passion of

mine to start Extra Butter. My pas-

sion was to enable Bernie and Jay

Faustino with passion. I felt it was

my duty not to help them but to en-

able them. I had been in the

retail sneaker business for over 20

years at that point and had no idea

how far the industry had evolved

in NYC. Visiting shops like Reed

Space, Nort, Clientele and Clas-

sic Kicks really changed the way I

looked at sneakers and our business.

Those shops were beautiful to me.

Ten years later, our brand is able

to make similar impressions

on people.”

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve had to navigate in the past decade?BG: “Learning to adapt and lever-

age the internet and social media

to the best of our ability. First, we

were competing on Long Island, and

then New York City, and now we’re

competing against the entire world.

Anyone who has access or a login to

Instagram or a website are essen-

tially our competitors now. Everyone

loves to look at New York as the

stage, but there’s going to be dark

horses that come out of nowhere all

over the world that are going to keep

us on our toes for the rest of our

business life.”

What’s Extra Butter’s biggest accomplishment to date?AA: “We’ve been able to deliver on the

feeling behind our brand to the end

consumer. We’re a quirky, fun-loving

band of guys that are into cool shoes.

I feel pride in the fact that my con-

sumers see that.”

BG: “There’s this common sentiment

that everyone I talk to says about

Extra Butter: You guys are cool, have

cool stuff, and I like coming to you.

Our last customer last night, he

picked up an online order. He had

mentioned he goes out of his way to

come here, that he passes two other

shops from his location of work. He

said, ‘The first time I came here, you

guys made me feel so comfortable. I

like the vibe in the store. You make

a 40-year-old sneaker enthusiast

continue to want to be a sneaker

enthusiast.’”

What’s the secret to a killer collab?AA: “If you time it right, it is going

to be successful. To understand

what the consumer is thirsting for

and bring it to him at the time he’s

thirsting for it, it will always work.”

BG: “But if you remove the timing, if

the design and story is compelling

enough, you still kill it.”

In its first decade, Extra Butter earned rave reviews from critics, who lauded it as a fun, welcoming destination sneakerheads could call their own. And for the sequel, it plans to ramp up its cinematic experiences to keep fans satisfied. ➵ Established by film buff Jason Faustino and industry veterans Ankur and Nick Amin in 2007 (and joined in 2009 by art director Bernie Gross), the retailer has evolved from a single suburban Long Island store with three employees to a staff of more than 20 manning two must-stop streetwear shops — including one in the heart of New York’s Lower East Side neighborhood.

An in-store event for the release of the “Rubble Kings” doc in 2015

INSIDER

Photograph by JOSHUA SCOTT 9

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What collaboration did you absolutely knock out of the park?BG: “‘Street Meat.’ Reebok broke the

story that 2015 was going to be the

year of the Ventilator, and ours was

the first one to come out, Feb. 14. It’s

some people’s favorite color combina-

tion, the story was there, the execu-

tion was there.”

AA: “And the halal guys were in the

midst of a massive growth process,

too. Halal meats were becoming

more significant.”

BG: “It’s such a genuine New York

story. We were thinking: What can

you say about New York without

being so cheesy or like a gift shop?

This was for real New Yorkers. If you

knew your s**t, you’re going to 53rd

Street and grabbing halal at 2 a.m.

And we sat down with those guys

and wanted to get them involved,

and for some reason they didn’t

have the foresight to see the value in

partnering with us, so they politely

declined. Two years later, they came

back to us and said, ‘We screwed up,’

because a lot of the franchises they

were opening internationally, they

would hand the keys over and sign

the contracts, and a lot of the fran-

chisees were like, ‘Great, when are we

getting our stock of those Reeboks

you did?’ And they were like, ‘No, we

didn’t take part in it.’”

Did any collabs miss the mark? AA: “The [Reebok] prom one missed

the mark. The product was not

fashion-relevant, so we missed on

fashion timing. And we missed on

the actual activation of the product;

we were ambitious in the activation,

but it didn’t resonate. We didn’t tell

the movie story well, ‘Pretty in Pink.’

I don’t think anybody knows that’s

what that was, a his-and-hers ‘Pretty

in Pink’ story.”

BG: “It had nothing to do with the

movie, per se. And I’ll be honest,

from the creative legal point of

view, we started to get nervous

about what we can and can’t say

about movies. We’ve had our wrists

slapped a little bit, so we were like,

‘How do we imply it’s about a movie

without actually saying it?’ Most

of the time, you need to force-feed

it, you need to serve it on a silver

platter to the consumer, like: ‘This is

what inspired us.’”

What have you learned over this 10-year journey?AA: “Retail is an ever-changing

dynamic. You need to be adapting

all the time, you need to be engaged,

you need to be talking to people who

are making a difference. Extra Butter

has got me out of my comfortable

cocoon on Long Island and out in the

world seeing some great change hap-

pen at a rapid pace. Even a simple

move from Long Island to New York

City has changed the dynamic of our

brand, the way we perceive business

and our ability as good retailers.

What I’ve learned in the past 10 years

is going to enable me to be relevant

in this space as a retailer.”

What does the next decade for Extra Butter look like?AA: “We’re focused on being a great

retailer. We want to make sure

we’re talking to our consumer in an

approachable, digestible way. This

business suffers from overselling or

overengineering a sale, and we’d like

to have a more organic, authentic

relationship with our consumers.”

JS: “And I see more than two Extra

Butters. In 10 years, I could see five

EBs in America. The design of it is

repeatable — it’s not so artful that

it’s nonrepeatable, and any region

of the world that likes film can

accept an Extra Butter. And when

I say film, they go beyond an AMC

or a Lowes; they have arthouse

cinema, independent cinema, they

get the different facets of film. If

they have that base, that’s a perfect

spot for Extra Butter.”

Extra Butter has compared its re-freshed New York storefront to this

year’s Jordan Peele-directed horror/comedy thriller, “Get Out” — a critically acclaimed theatrical experience.

The renovated Lower East Side door, which opens Tuesday, is a deep dive into the retailer’s love for cinema. The Allen Street entrance features a movie theater marquee and a ticket window. Inside, there’s a fully functional concession area, with high-end treats curated by Napoleon’s Hat Coffee Consulting founder Gabriel Navarro. And consumers will now try on sneakers in movie theater seating.

But what’s most compelling about the store is its appearance after-hours.

When the boutique closes, a screen drops down from the ceiling along with two projectors — one facing the screen from Allen Street and the other from Orchard Street.

The projectors will play movies or brand partner videos throughout the night. Red curtains, reminiscent of those in your local theater, move from the entrances to the screen to cover the product on the walls. And the seats — which are placed facing the screen from both entrances — provide the illusion of film buffs taking in the latest must-see motion picture.

Extra Butter broke ground on the

renovation in June, but plans for this execution date back to September 2016, when co-owner Ankur Amin joined industry veteran Jeff Staple on a trip to Japan to experience the country’s exceptional retail firsthand. (A month after the trip, Staple was named creative director of TGS, the parent company of Extra Butter.)

Amin said that while touring Japan, he was most impressed with the buildouts at stores such as Soph, The Park-Ing Ginza and NSW — all designed by renowned architect Nobuo Araki.

“We were at a café walking up the stairs, and Ankur said, ‘Who is the architect that does all this stuff?’” Staple said. “They were all done by the same guy, Araki. We joked, ‘We should get him to EB.’”

He took some convincing. “With Araki, the experience of that

was the opposite of what you would think. He wasn’t trying to get this project; we were courting him to do it,” Amin said. “We all were sitting at [Lower East Side café] Russ & Daughters, and I remember trying to sell him.”

Despite the new eye-catching aesthetic, Staple believes Extra Butter won’t sacrifice its intimate feel.

“We wanted it to be a neighbor-hood store; we wanted it to feel local. We wanted to avoid becoming

grandiose, bigger and badder,” Staple explained. “When you walk in the store, there’s no feeling of intimida-tion, like these guys are balling out of control. It’ll be like they took the soul of their foundation and amped it up to the nth degree, but all in a very digest-ible model.”

The team is undecided whether they will replicate the theater design in its Rockville Centre, N.Y., door, where Extra Butter began. Amin said that by January he hopes to know if he will renovate that store or close it and open in another Long Island-area location.

While it remains to be seen how customers feel about the new look, enlisting Araki’s design services has already paid off.

“The Japanese brand Neighbor-

hood is a difficult brand to stock,” Staple said. “We emailed them to try to get them into Extra Butter, and they said, ‘We heard Araki is doing you guys, so let’s have a meeting.’ That’s how much clout he has.”

Staple said the new look will have a profound impact not only on product Extra Butter will deliver, it will influence future collaborations and events.

“Because we have this platform, we can now decide June is ‘Pulp Fiction’ month. We’ll screen ‘Pulp Fiction’ plus films that inspired it every Friday night, get your gourmet popcorn and soda, sit in our theater seats,” Staple said. “The EB private-label collection will be ‘Pulp Fiction’-inspired, and we’ll do a collabo-ration with Adidas on a shoe. It’s this completely holistic screening, product, collab, in-store activation.”

Feature PresentationExtra Butter’s NYC door has a new film-inspired look. Here’s how it all came together. By Peter Verry

(L-R): Ankur Amin,Bernie Gross,

Jeff Staple, Nobuo Araki, Paul Lee, Nick Amin

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Bull’s Eye

Spy

Del Toro founder Matthew Chevallard talks retail and the brand’s three-city concept

store strategy. By Nikara Johns

Del Toro is back in New York, this time as a concept shop on Greene Street that is part of the label’s three-tier store initiative. Two more boutiques launch this month — one in Troy, Michigan’s Somerset Collection

mall and another as a shop-in-shop in Palm Beach’s upcoming Magasin Boutique. “We are making signifi cant e� orts to reinforce our brand

and o� ering,” founder Matthew Chevallard said. “My whole intent is revitalizing and rejuvenating the concept of retail. Right now, the idea is for the concept shops to be nimble and fl exible. We want to open [a store] when it makes sense, close when it doesn’t, rinse and repeat.”

The label’s fall ’17 line, “Back to Our Roots,” is a celebration of Del Toro’s Italian heritage and Chevallard’s hometown of Torino. The New York boutique amps up the experience by featuring Regina’s Grocery, an authentic Italian-style café and market inside the shop.

As to why he’s debuting a pop-up in a suburb of Detroit, Chevallard explained that the city o� ers a unique parallel to Torino. “They are similar industrial cities going through a resurgence, with rich history,” he said. “We are trying to fi nd opportunities and niches in retail that work for us. I’m keen on the secondary-market model.”

As for product, Chevallard is focused on developing his women’s category, while building on the bread and butter of his business: the slipper.

Join the ClubKith’s sports network just keeps growing. This past weekend, the retailer opened a temporary installation in the Fred Segal fl agship in West Hollywood to cel-ebrate the addition of a new Kith soccer club: the L.A. Rays. Inside the pop-up, the retailer debuted limited-edition soccer apparel and footwear, created in collaboration with Adidas. “There will be six [shoe silhouettes] that will go out for retail and three cleats, which are made specifi cally for our teams,” said founder Ronnie Fieg. Collections were also developed for the Kith Cobras in New York and the Miami Flamingos. In addition, the Kith x Adidas soccer kits also appear in EA Sports’ new “FIFA 18” video game, which released in late September. — Jennie Bell

SNEAKER BRAND AXEL ARIGATO’S MAX SVÄRDH AND ALBIN JOHANSSON ON ...

GO-TO AXEL ARIGATO SNEAKER STYLESMS: A pair of Platform Sneak-ers in black suede with a rubber gum sole. I keep going back to it because it works well with everything. AJ: Mine are the Clean 90s cut from black leather. It’s the per-fect all-year-round silhouette.

THE UPCOMING TECH RUNNERMS: Axel Arigato has become synonymous with minimal foot-wear, but moving into the spring ’18 season, we will o� er a more diverse and balanced range than ever before. The Tech Runner is

more technically advanced and a style that leans toward a more chunky, orthopedic aesthetic.AJ: It’s set to launch in December, followed by further developments arriving later in 2018 for the autumn/winter season.

WEARING SNEAKERS WITH SUITSMS: Today, sneakers and suits go well together as long as it’s with a stripped-down silhouette [or] styled with a modern suit. If you look at our fi rst capsule, we launched tailored trousers together with casual black hood-ies. It works a bit like the modern day’s uniform.

FAVORITE PAIR OF SNEAKERS GROWING UPMS: Etnies Low Top. AJ: Nike Air Force 1.— By Nikara Johns

KILLAH COLLABRap icon Ghostface Killah (of the Wu-Tang Clan) has teamed up with retail standout Extra Butter and AsicsTiger to release a Gel Lyte MT collab inspired by one of the emcee’s many nicknames, “Pretty Toney.” The look uses design cues from the rapper’s love for leather jackets and boasts an upper executed with various leather treatments such as ostrich, perforation and quilting, in burgundy. The style also features elements not seen before on the classic silhouette,

including rivets, belt straps and a zippered lace gaiter. The sneaker was sold in a limited capacity at Complex Con on Nov. 4 and 5, and will be available for all consumers for $180 in Extra Butter doors and its website starting Nov. 7. — Peter Verry

Inside Del Toro’s NYC concept shop

INSIDER10

GhostfaceKillah

Ronnie Fieg

Axel Arigato Platform Sneaker

MANOLO BLAHNIK LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Stan Smith

PERSON OF THE YEAR

Victor Luis

COMPANY OF THE YEAR

Steven Madden Ltd.

SHOE OF THE YEAR

Air Jordan 1 x Virgil Abloh

DESIGNER OF THE YEAR

Gianvito Rossi

ICON AWARD FOR SOCIAL IMPACT

Diane Sullivan

BRAND OF THE YEAR

Birkenstock

COLLABORATOR OF THE YEAR

Ronnie Fieg

MARKETER OF THE YEAR

Puma

LAUNCHES OF THE YEAR

Alexa Chung, Attico

STYLE INFLUENCER

Hailey Baldwin

VIVIAN INFANTINO EMERGING TALENT AWARD

Malone Souliers

A C H I E V E M E N T A W A R D S

HALL OF FAME

Rick Ausick, Liz Rodbell

Be a part of this special issue celebrating 2017’s highest achievers, innovators and icons.

ISSUE: November 27 / CLOSE: November 15BONUS DISTRIBUTION: FN Achievement Awards, FFANY

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QUOTES OF THE WEEKOverheard in the industry last week

TO P STO RY

W H A T ’ S T R E N D I N G

“My girlfriend must have had 15 different pairs of shoes [with her]. She wore them [all day], whereas I was taking off my high heels when walking long distances and putting on my flip-flops.” Carol Alt on becoming the com-munications and creative adviser to women’s brand Cat Perkins.

“I’m from Ventura, Calif., which has always been a huge surf town. Ugg boots is always something I’ve known from surfing.” Rapper Kyle comments on being brand ambassador for the second Ugg x Foot Action partnership.

“I’m all about big companies taking bigsteps to show how it’spossible to produce in a more sustainable way. Plus they’re fly as hell.” Olivia Wilde describes Nike’s new sustainable Flyleather material in an Instagram post.

Burberry said last week that president and chief creative o cer Christopher Bailey is resigning. The brand stated, “As Burberry begins the next decade of its journey, Christopher has concluded that after 17 years, it will be the right time for him to pursue new creative projects.” Bailey will remain in his role until March 2018 and then help CEO

Marco Gobbetti and the team transition through December. “It has been the great privilege of my working life to be at Burberry working alongside and learning from such an extraordinary group of people over the last 17 years. Burberry encapsulates so much of what is great about Britain. As an organization, it is creative, innovative and outward-looking,” said Bailey.

Inside Christopher Bailey’s Burberry Exit

Vans and North Face Debut New Collab In their second partnership, Vans has partnered with fellow VF Corp. brand The North Face for a cold-weather-centric holiday ’17 collection. The four shoes in the line combine Vans’ skate aesthetic with The North Face’s high-performance materials. Key details include heavy-duty suede and nylon, and lug outsoles. The new iterations of Vans’ Sk8-Hi MTE and Old Skool MTE are o� ered in a primary palette of red and yellow, and will retail from $90 to $100.

Wholesale Fuels Steve Madden Sales Gains Steve Madden reported third-quarter results last week in which the company saw an 8 percent sales increase to $441.2 million. Strong business in wholesale footwear, up by 8.7 percent to $376.9 million, was led by Steve Madden women’s, Steve Madden men’s and Madden Girl, particularly sneak-ers and sandals. Challenges persisted in the boot category, which drove the entire decline in comp sales. Madden produces private-label footwear for Payless, which recently exited from bankruptcy. That situation also impacted the results.P

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INSTAGRAMS OF THE WEEKThe fi ve most-liked photos from @FootwearNews

Treat yourself to these luxe lug-soled @gucci leather combat boots.

1

Legendary designer @karllagerfeld at the WWD Summit.

2

The @chanelo� cial @colette residency started today in Paris.

3

On @katyperry’s 33rd birthday, we looked at her most outrageous shoe moments.

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@kerrywashington in Gianvito Rossi at the Fashion Group In-ternational Night of Stars gala.

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Steve Madden

Christopher Bailey

Vans x The North Face

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The challenges continue to mount for Under Armour, which last week posted a third-quarter sales miss and signifi cantly lowered its full-year outlook.

The Baltimore-based brand followed up the negative earnings report — which sent shares tumbling — with a confi rmation of two executive departures: marketing chief Andrew Donkin, and SVP and GM Pamela Catlett. (Their exits are part of a larger restructuring initiated by UA to reverse the brand’s downward spiral.)

Amid intense competition in the athletic space — which has seen even behemoth Nike stumble as momentum intensifi es at Adidas and streetwear labels Vans and Supreme — Under Armour has spent the past year struggling to fi nd its footing.

On an earnings conference call, CEO Kevin Plank got candid on the challenges plaguing the brand he founded.

Here, four revelations from UA’s chief about the brand’s struggles.

The Consequences of Aggressive ExpansionPlank suggested that the company’s eyes may have been bigger than its stomach — noting that the company’s present infra-structure is built for a much larger fi rm.

“Independent of macro challenges in North America, the second side of the intersection are the growing pains that came as a result of such rapid expansion,” he told investors. “As detailed on previous calls, we’re well underway with a strategic transformation designed to simplify our go-to-market, correct our ine� ciencies and take advantage of the scale and infrastructure we’ve built to better serve our consumers.”

The Footwear Shortfall“Footwear and women’s is a place where we feel like we can be and do a much better job,” Plank said, noting later in the call that he does see signifi cant potential in the shoe

category, which gained 2 percent to $285 million in Q3 — despite slowing momentum in basketball.

“We’ve got a tremendous opportunity with a franchise like Curry,” Plank said, admitting that the brand has had some pricing challenges. “I think we probably were a little brag-ish about things like the number of styles that we were selling over $100. And the fact is, when you look at some of our key distribution — from our mainline sporting goods — they’re selling footwear at $90. I don’t think we’ve done the best job of being in position with the price-to-value of where we sell and how we sell and identify with that consumer — which goes back to understanding our consumer [and] being consumer-led at the center of everything we do.”

More Than a Logo“When I look at 2017, I don’t think that we were, frankly, di¤ erentiated enough for our consumer,” Plank said, adding that he is looking to marry the price-value equation to a larger goal of product di¤ erentiation. “We can’t just stick a logo on, expecting the consumer to buy it because they like the logo. So you won’t see that happen from us.”

Strategy: Reset“In 2017 and 2018, as we work to reset and strengthen our underlying business, we have three main goals: Operate, fuel and innovate,” Plank explained, reiterating that the company is in the midst of a restructur-ing. “As we defi ne the issue on our business right now, we see two contributing factors: tough conditions in our largest market and complexities as a result of rapid growth. To address this issue, we must operate a better company. From design, sourcing, process and planning to speed-to-market, consumer connectivity and innovation, we already have multiple strategies in play to right-size and amplify the business throughout our portfolio.” ❚

V

Under Armour in the TrenchesAmid tough times, CEO Kevin Plank gets candid on major missteps.

By Sheena Butler-Young

connecting generationsconnecting generations

TWO TEN FOOTWEAR FOUNDATION 78TH ANNUAL VIP DINNER & GALA

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Business Development, BBC International

VIP DINNER HONOREES

A. A. Bloom Memorial AwardROBERT McHUGH Retired, Foot Locker, Inc.

Social Impact Award

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The advanced technology is expected to change the way companies do business. Why big players such as Adidas are already banking on it. By Lauren Olsen

How 3-D Printing Will Redefi neFuture Retail Opportunities

FN INSIGHTS: TECHNOLOGY

What makes 3-D printing special?L.B.: “It’s the machine of the future for mass customization, making one of 1,000 variations of a product versus mass manufacturing, which makes 1,000 of one product variation.”

What is the most valuable technology Feetz o� ers?L.B.: “Machine learning through cus-tomer data. We have over 500,000 data records on people’s feet size and shape, the shoes they buy, what they like about shoes and more. We apply machine learning algorithms to this so that we can provide better customization to a customer. We can also predict the styles they will buy next, which helps us identify the

styles we should develop and the designers we work with, lowering risk of inventory overstock and reduced margins.”

Why should companies use the latest technologies?L.B.: “Today’s footwear technologies and processes are among the top polluters to the planet. Using new technologies means making less waste in the system we use today, as it can be made locally and on-demand, and owning the end-of-life aspect of what happens to the product after the consumer is done with it. Technology is the enabler for this social responsibility — it’s time for footwear companies to embrace it.”

Lucy Beard, chief cobbler and founder of Feetz, explains why it’s important for the footwear industry to embrace innovative technologies. By Lauren Olsen

Tech TalkTwo forward-thinking execs at Caleres Inc. weigh in on the growing intersection of retail and technology at the company.

NATACHA ALPERTSenior manager of innovation “Areas of investment we are excited about include supply chain technology and automation. The ability for us to connect supplier planning, procurement, preproduction and production tracking will improve speed and quality — and reduce costs. We are looking to engage other pieces, including 3-D design and commercialization, to further speed up and connect our teams and partners.”

DAN FRIEDMANDivision president, global supply chain“Caleres thinks about the idea of tactical innovation — we look at all aspects, including digital, product and supply chain improve-ments. This includes investments in a new, robust digital platform to access consumer insights and purchasing behaviors for our di-rect-to-consumer businesses, and fulfi llment enhancements to improve speed of delivery. We also have made investments in supply chain technology and logistics to improve communication, speed and e� ciency.”

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T here’s no denying innovations in

technology will force major retail

transformations in the coming years,

with everything from in-store facial recognition

to augmented reality all set to enhance the

entire shopping journey. And some of these

futuristic technologies are already reshaping

how the footwear industry approaches the retail

experience. Case in point: 3-D printing.

Gurjeev Chadha, head of product marketing

at Carbon — a manufacturing company that

collaborates on 3-D printing projects with the

likes of Adidas — said his o� ce is especially

drawn to the potential for mass customiza-

tion of footwear, tailored to shoppers’ specifi c

physiological needs, as well as added footwear

performance features.

“In the future, people will be able to walk

into a store, scan their foot, walk and gait,

and then have a shoe made just for them right

there,” he said. “That will be enabled by tech-

nologies like 3-D printing. Taking those scans,

midsoles will be designed and manufactured

in-store using that technology.”

He explained that Carbon has played a

role in getting footwear businesses to use 3-D

printing to make this notion of mass custom-

ization a reality. “We’re a little bit far o� from

full in-store mass customization, but we are

already working with Adidas to implement

our Digital Light Synthesis 3-D printing

technology, our unique materials and our

groundbreaking 3-D printers into their

manufacturing process,” he said.

Explaining how the demand will grow for

footwear that is both comfortable and built

for performance, Chadha said brands like

Adidas are creating new footwear experiences

accordingly. Three-dimensional printing will

also quicken the product development cycle

by allowing brands to design and manufacture

on the same system, he noted.

“Three-dimensional printing opens up new

design possibilities that were not possible before,”

Chadha said. “Technologies such as 3-D printing

will help footwear brands be nimble in the face

of increased competition.” ❚

Power your next shoe with OrthoLite insoles—the secret to superior performance. Our game-changing X40 High Rebound foam formulation boosts the elasticity rating to over 40%, making it the only insole choice for shoes used in high impact activities.

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What happens when you pair one of the world’s most

in-demand supermodels with an iconic Nike shoe?

A whole lot of fireworks. Why Bella Hadid’s edgy,

effortless style is a perfect match for the brand’s

Air Force 1 anniversary blitz. B y P E T E R V E R R Y / P h o t o g r a p h s b y E R I C T. W H I T E / F a s h i o n E d i t o r S H A N N O N A D D U C C I

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Shot exclusively for FN at the PMC studio in New York

Fendi gray silk bomber jacket with floral embroideryWolford Jamaika string bodysuitNike Classic Swoosh Futura sports braJennifer Fisher brass oval hoops and double finger ringNike Swoosh HBR crew socks

Nike Air Force 1 Hi Just Don by Don “Don C” Crawley sneakers

Fear of God Away mesh baseball jerseyJennifer Fisher classic hoopsNike Pro training shortsNike Dri-Fit basketball wristbands

Nike Air Force 1 ‘07 Off-White by Virgil Abloh sneakers

19

ella Hadid knows how to make an entrance. On a rainy

Tuesday afternoon in October, she glided into the lobby

of FN’s Midtown New York headquarters wearing a

striking red, white and blue Nike x Kith tracksuit and a

crisp pair of Air Zoom Spiridons.

A few minutes later, Hadid, with an entourage in

tow, was on-set spinning a basketball on her finger as

tunes from Drake; Tyler, the Creator; and other hot

musicians played in the background. The trendset-

ter, who’s just 21, rocked a statement look for the first

shot, which included a Fendi gray silk bomber jacket

with floral embroidery and Air Force 1 Hi Just Don by

Don “Don C” Crawley sneakers. Over the next hour,

Hadid — who signed on as a Nike ambassador last No-

vember — effortlessly worked four more Air Force One

AF100 collaboration styles. They’re all part of a 35th

anniversary pack based on the shoe’s most important

colorway: white-on-white.

Hadid, who has experienced a meteoric rise in the

fashion world, might not be an obvious fit as an Air

Force 1 frontwoman — or as a cover star for FN’s

annual sneakerhead issue. After all, she’s most often

seen walking the runway in heels for top brands in-

cluding Versace, Fendi and Marc Jacobs. But if Hadid

had it her way, she would probably be in sneakers. “I

would pair them with everything,” Hadid told FN. “I’ve

worn sneakers with a gown, with a short dress, a long

dress, sweatpants, tracksuits, shorts. You could wear

them with anything.”

A sneaker fanatic for years, Hadid remembers the

moment she became hooked. “Growing up, when I fig-

ured out you could customize shoes online, that was my

No. 1 thing — and Air Force 1 was always my go-to,” she

said. “I started to love the low-tops, but in high school, I

was obsessed with the high-tops.”

The AF100 includes a style reimagined by one of

today’s hottest rappers, Travis Scott, two of the mo-

ment’s biggest designers (Virgil Abloh and Crawley),

a previously unreleased look for Jay-Z’s former record

label Roc-A-Fella Records and a white monochromatic

iteration of a prior Acronym collab (designed by

Errolson Hugh).

“The triple white is the most ubiquitous of all Air

Force 1s, and it’s the one that transcends gender, socio-

economic status, cultures — everyone wears the white-

on-white,” said Al Baik, senior creative director of Nike

Sportswear footwear.

Sneaker experts with an affinity for the Air Force 1

agree. “You’re going to turn heads if you walk in with

Kaws or HTMs — having limited-edition joints makes

you stand out — but they still don’t take anything away

from the white-on-white,” said “Hawaii” Mike Salman,

who participated in Nike’s ranking of the best 100 Air

Force 1s of all time 10 years ago.

Abloh’s reimagined Off-White x Nike Air Force 1 ’07

is the first of the five iterations. The collab dropped on

Nov. 4 exclusively at Complex Con in Long Beach, Calif.

“The Air Force 1 means something beyond basketball.

I’m designing it from that point,” explained Abloh. “I’m

not designing it as a basketball sneaker. I’m designing it

as, like, a cultural signifier. And it has my aesthetic.”

Following the initial sneaker release is the Air Force

1 ’07 “Roc-A-Fella” iteration, which arrives on Nov. 30.

After that is the Just Don Air Force 1 High collab Dec. 1,

the Air Force 1 Low designed by Scott on Dec. 2 and the

Acronym x Lunar Force 1 ’17 collaboration on Dec. 3.

“I wanted to bring a very high-end feel to a respected

silhouette in sports culture. I’m just trying to bring a

different element to sport — you can think luxury and

sport at the same time,” Don C said. “I was happy that

the approach of the project was white-on-white because

it shows appreciation for the 35 years of this silhouette,

but I wanted to switch it up a bit while still respecting

the elegance and heritage of the shoe.”

All of the looks except Abloh’s will be available

via the SNKRS app and at select Nike retail partners

worldwide. “Everyone that we worked with had

a love for the Air Force 1, and when you look at

the overall cast, it’s amazing to see that diversity,”

Baik said.

Hadid admitted it’s tough to pick one favorite from

AF100, but she does lean toward two of the looks. “I

think everyone knows I love Virgil,” said Hadid. “His

shoe is so personal, it’s so distinct, and it’s such a differ-

ent shoe than you necessarily see all the time because of

how personal it is.”

She continued, “And I love Travis’. It reminds me so

much of him — it has the grills on it and the Swoosh. I

think it’s so cool how you can replace them.” ❚

Walking on AirBella opens up about her first sneaker love and how she stays in shape.

First sneaker love“The first shoe I had every pair of was high-top Converse [Chuck Taylors]. I had the craziest colors, and I always had them match my outfits. Then I started to become obsessed with basketball sneakers and running shoes.”

What dominates her closet“It’s mostly sneakers. I love to have a heels moment, but sneakers always end up looking cooler. And of course they are more comfortable.”

Being a sneakerhead“I guess I would call myself a sneakerhead. I love sneakers, and if that’s what a sneakerhead is, then I’m one.”

Getting in runway shape “I like to train hard, but still give myself cheat days and allow myself to eat the things I want when I crave them. Everything in moderation.” Next big accomplishment“I would like to keep working hard and raising my goals up to higher heights. There is always room for improvement.”

“I THINK EVERYONE KNOWS I LOVE VIRGIL. HIS SHOE IS SO

PERSONAL, IT’S SO DISTINCT.”

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Monse glen plaid zip topMarques’Almeida side stripe wool trousersJennifer Fisher brass XL heart earrings

Nike Lunar Force 1/ Acronym ‘17 by Errolson Hugh sneakers

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X Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh asymmetric fuchsia dressJennifer Fisher classic hoopsNike Dri-Fit basketball wristbands

Nike Air Force 1 ‘07 Roc-A-Fella by Kareem “Biggs” Burke sneakers

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“I LOVE TO HAVE A HEELS MOMENT, BUT SNEAKERS ALWAYS

END UP LOOKING COOLER.”

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SNEAKER

Once they get going, sneaker fanatics don’t stop. FN spoke with 13 collectors about the year’s must-have releases, overhyped kicks and the brand that will deliver the best styles.

By PETER VERRY and MICHAEL K. CONWAY

TALKMike “UpscaleVandal” Camargo

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MIKE “UPSCALE VANDAL” CAMARGOConsultant, Upscale Vandal Group2017’s Most Overhyped Release: “The

last Yeezy V2 that dropped, the ‘Ze-

bra.’ But not the Wave Runner 700, I

like the Wave Runner. I’m done with

all Yeezys except that Wave Runner.

I’m buying them.”

Best Place to Buy Kicks: “Social Status.

They have multiple doors in areas

that there isn’t so much hype, so I’m

able to get in easy.”

Brands With Surprising Quality Drops:

“Karhu. I started wearing that brand

maybe last year. Yeezy [Kanye West]

started wearing them after me, and

everybody jumped on them then.

The quality of their shoes is amaz-

ing. I wear one model, the Fusion

2.0. It’s comfortable, and for the

price, you get a lot of paneling and

good materials.”

Brand With the Most Promising Future:

“Jordan Brand, and the reason is

because of Frank Cooker and Gemo

Wong — they’re in charge of all the

special interests. With their under-

standing of the culture and being

able to tap in directly to the culture,

the more leeway Jordan gives them,

the more they can grow. They

understand the landscape of what’s

cool more than anybody.”

Who Deserves a Signature Sneaker:

“Aside from myself? J Balvin. He

represents the sneaker enthusiast

outside of the United States. He

represents international culture and

how far things have reached. People

like Skepta getting a shoe is cool and

pushes the boundaries in the U.K.,

but it’s still an English-speaking

country that has similar sensibilities

to us. J being from South America,

coming from Colombia, a country

where sneaker culture doesn’t have

the same prominence, it’s important

for him to represent our culture on

an international and global level

because of how repetitive can we

get with the same s**t we do here.

We need an injection of lifestyle and

understanding from other places.”

STATIK SELEKTAHDJ, Producer & Shade 45 Host2017’s Most Overhyped Release: “The

White Yeezys [Yeezy Boost 350 V2].

They were cool, but I’ve seen so

many people destroy them since

they’ve had them — it’s like wearing

a napkin.”

Best Place to Buy Kicks: “21 Mercer.

They put a lot of dope s**t on the

shelves that no one else really has at

the time. I feel like people are sleep-

ing on them because every time I go

in there, there’s only a couple people

in there and there’s always some-

thing dope, something you wouldn’t

expect to be on the shelf.”

Brand With the Most Promising Future:

“Adidas is dope, Jordan is dope. And

I’ve been back on the [Nike] Air

Maxes, too. And Ewing [Athletics],

they’re doing some cool collabos. I

like the Cormega ones.”

Who Deserves a Signature Sneaker:

“I would like to see more collabs

with lifestyle guys like DJ Clark

Kent, Mayor. It would be cool if

some of the younger rappers got

sneakers that are relevant. I’d like

to see what [A$AP] Rocky would

design or what Joey [Bada$$] would

do — actually, Joey has a sneaker

coming out with Pony. They’ve got

their fi nger on the pulse when it

comes to designing sneakers.”

“HAWAII” MIKE SALMANFounding Partner, Agency for HigherBest Place to Buy Kicks: “If you’re

spending some money, Stadium

Goods, because they’ve got every-

thing. For consignment, I’m going

with those guys. And Rime in Brook-

lyn. [Susan Boyle has] been able

to compete and stay alive forever

without having every limited release

that supports every other store. In

this marketplace, to be able to do

that, I honor that. She’s o¤ -street in

a neighborhood that ain’t nobody

over there, and Susan has been

able to keep that thing rocking,

stay respected and keep moving.

And I support her because she’s

right across the street from my

butcher shop.”

Brands With Surprising Quality Drops:

“My closet used to be 90 percent

orange boxes [Nike]. But I probably

wear 80 or 90 percent Adidas at this

point. For me, the comfort with the

Primeknit and Boost has just been

working like crazy. And the way

they’ve been able to participate with

culture, they don’t feel so forced.

They feel more of the people right

now. The product is super-comfort-

able, super-innovative. I never wore

shell toes [Superstars], but ever

since they got into the tech space,

I’ve been f**king with it heavy.”

Brand With the Most Promising Future:

“I have to go with Nike because

they can mess up more than any

other brand and still be able to push

forward and still be able to compete

and hold a top spot and be in the

conversation. Everyone else is either

looking so far up that it’s unattain-

able or if you’re Adidas, one wrong

move and you’re like 18 steps back.”

Who Deserves a Signature Sneaker:

“Just on some respect due, Bun B;

I look at him as a godfather to this

industry. I would love to see some-

body like Bun have his own joints

because he’s always represented the

culture, he’s always been able to stay

grounded, and he’s always related to

our culture. Whether it’s people our

age or the kids, he somehow always

stays relevant.”

JENNIFER VILLAMIAStore Manager, Sneaker Room2017’s Most Overhyped Release: “All

of the Supreme sneakers are [over-

hyped], specifi cally the Nike Air

Uptempo Supreme Gold. People

who don’t know anything about the

brand or the culture want to touch

those shoes. They are always the

most hyped.”

Best Place to Buy Kicks: “Sneaker

Room, but I’m biased because I

work there. [And] Shoe Gallery is

one of my favorite stores; I’ve been

buying shoes since I was a kid. I

love that store. It has always been

a pinnacle-account store, so they

had all the best products, and

they’ve always been so nice and

so welcoming ever since I was a

kid. They have everything — all

types of brands, all types of things

for everyone.”

Brands With Surprising Quality Drops:

“Puma is really surprising me. They

have broken out of their shell — es-

pecially with all the Rihanna stu¤ .”

TALK“Puma is really surprising me. They have broken out of their shell — especially with all the Rihanna stuff.”Jennifer Villamia

Mike “UpscaleVandal” Camargo

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Brand With the Most Promising Future:

“Nike. Their longevity and their ar-

chives — they haven’t even touched

half of it. Whenever they want, they

can go into their archives and pull

something out that will make the

marketplace go crazy. Their vintage

basketball would be like a dream

come true for some of those shoes

to come out. The Air Money is their

best vintage basketball shoe.”

Who Deserves a Signature Sneaker:

“Aleali May right now, the stylist.

Her style is dope, she just [dropped

a collab] a couple weeks ago.

Another person would be Melanie

Sanchez; she worked with Kith for

a while, and she is also a stylist. She

has great taste, and she knows the

culture. She could design something

really nice. She did some styling for

[Ronnie Fieg] and for the brand.”

YU-MING WUFounder, Sneaker News; CMO, Stadium Goods2017’s Most Overhyped Release:

“I don’t think anything is overhyped.

Everything has been incredible.”

Best Place to Buy Kicks: “I shop at so

many di� erent places online that it’s

hard to say just one. Every online

store has to have a di� erent o� er-

ing. I shop at Stadium Goods, on

eBay a lot, Nikestore.com, Sneakers-

nstu� , the domestic guys as well.”

Brands With Surprising Quality Drops:

“Converse is coming back around

and has done some interesting

collabs, starting with the Tyler, The

Creator collection. I did not think

there would be a big reception, but

there was a huge reception for it.

Converse is getting behind some

di� erent audiences, and they’re a

little bit of an underdog. For them

to come out and use heritage models

is pretty cool.”

Brand With the Most Promising Future:

“The competition has driven every-

one to take a look at their business.

Nike and Jordan have been the No.

1 and 2 for a very long time, and for

Adidas to come behind and get to

the No. 2 place is incredible. It is

pushing the market to do interest-

ing and new things. Nike doing the

O� -White collab was something

new and incredible. I don’t know if

that was possible if there wasn’t an

Adidas knocking on the door. Adidas

has been killing it with the [Ultra]

Boosts and the Yeezys, Puma with

the Rihanna collection, [and] Ree-

bok is doing some interesting things

within the fashion world.”

Who Deserves a Signature Sneaker:

“I think a signature shoe should

stay in the sports world. I defi nitely

do not want to see infl uencers with

signature sneakers. They should

have their own colorway and col-

laborate with di� erent companies.

Really big-time performers, that

makes sense. Travis Scott and what-

not, I know Don C is not a tradition-

al performer, is doing things with

Nike. These guys are incredible, but

I can’t see a Travis Scott signature

sneaker, but I can see a Travis Scott-

designed sneaker with Nike.”

MACHE Founder, Mache Customs 2017’s Most Overhyped Release:

“The Kaws x Air Jordan 4.”

Best Place to Buy Kicks: “I still cherish

the nostalgia of walking into a Foot

Locker and not knowing what’s in

there, just kind of walking in and

leaving with a pair of shoes. The

online experience is very conve-

nient, but it takes away from the

personability. I’ll go on eBay if I

have to, but I’ve been lucky in that

I’ll usually work with the brand and

they will send me the shoes. [And]

I’ve dealt with StockX for base shoes

for projects. Sometimes it’s just the

resellers that I’ll look at if I need

something, [and] guys on Instagram

that I have a relationship with.”

Brands With Surprising Quality Drops:

“Under Armour. It’s taken them

three years, but they’ve fi nally made

a Curry model that is somewhat

visually appealing, and I think

that is a step in the right direction.

[And] Nike is getting out of their

comfort zone and not relying on

just being Nike.”

Brand With the Most Promising Future:

“Adidas. I live in Ultra Boosts.

They have been creative with the

materials and everything that

they’re doing.”

Who Deserves a Signature Sneaker:

“Me. One of my goals is to have a

factory-made shoe. What I do is con-

sidered a luxury because it is custom-

made artwork. Most people can’t

a� ord that, so to have something

where I work with a brand and sell it

for $200 is a little more attainable for

people that are fans of my work.”

MAYOREntrepreneur 2017’s Most Overhyped Release:

“The most overhyped was the

presale of the Yeezy 750 that nobody

got yet. Everyone went crazy for it,

and nobody got it yet. [And] the

Supreme [Nike] Air Force 2. [But]

the Yeezy Calabasas was the most

overhyped shoe.”

Best Place to Buy Kicks:

“NikeLab 21 Mercer Ave., Packer

Shoes in [New] Jersey and Kith.”

Brands With Surprising Quality Drops:

“Nike stepped up their quality game;

the quality of the Jordans is looking

good right now, [and] the quality

of the Air Force. The fact that they

are going premium materials and

price points on everything is great.

I’m going to say Nike because of the

quality of the materials on every-

thing — even my inline Air Forces

are looking good. I have Air Forces

from 1993, and the quality of leather

on those is just a totally di� erent

animal. I have an inline Air Force

1 with some tumble leather that I

bought from Champs [Sports] the

other day. I reached up to grab my

cereal, and my toe box didn’t crease.

I was totally shocked; it’s very hard

to do.

“Surprisingly, Puma is doing a good

job. My Puma grabs were more for

my children — the Rihanna Fenty

were great for my daughter, and I

was also gifted a pair of the 4:44

Jay-Z sneakers. The quality on

these Puma Clydes was amazing.

Of course they went the extra mile

because it was a friends-and-family

shoe for Jay-Z, and it was amazing.”

Brand With the Most Promising Future:

Nike has withstood the test of time.

There have been shots taken at the

throne, but at the end of the day,

they reign supreme. Adidas made

a wave, threw a couple of jabs, a

couple of haymakers, and you got to

respect it. But Nike killed it for so

long, and they will continue to kill

it, even with the bumps in the road

presented by other brands. When

it’s all said and done, they will be at

the top of the mountain. Never bet

against that Swoosh.”

Who Deserves a Signature Sneaker:

“Me. How is there not a ‘Mayor’

Air Force 1? I’m 34 years in the

game; I’ve been around. My shoe

game unf**kwithable. [And] Odell

Beckham Jr. should have a shoe.

They tried it with Victor Cruz, and it

was successful to an extent. I don’t

know Odell, [but] I know he got a

superchip on his shoulder, and I

respect the hell out of it. Just like I

respect Dez Bryant.”

VICTORIA CHIANGSneaker Influencer2017’s Most Overhyped Release:

“The Yeezy V2s from last year,

the cream and the bred ones that

came out this year. I’m not a fan

of the V2s; I thought the V1s were

“I shop at so many places online that it’s hard to say just one. Every online store has to have a different offering.”Yu-Ming Wu

Yu-Ming Wu

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a lot better. Those colorways were

extremely overhyped. I know people

like an all-white shoe, but the all-

white on that silhouette was sock-

like. It just looks like a giant sock.

[And] the Balenciaga sock shoes, I

think they’re both horrible. I can’t

believe how hyped they got, I can’t

believe how popular they got. It

doesn’t look good. I don’t think you

can wear socks with them. You’re

going to sweat through thousand-

dollar shoes.”

Best Place to Buy Kicks:

“I like buying from Grailed, StockX

or Goat. I’m really into hype, and I

really like the hottest sneakers, which

sometimes are not attainable, so I

have to turn to a consignment store.

I love how on StockX and all the

sites, you can haggle and sometimes

fi nd the best deals. As far as the clas-

sics, I prefer a Foot Locker of Footac-

tion or a Champs [Sports] because

they are the most reliable; they never

disappoint, and they have the great-

est inventory of classics if I want a

pair of running shoes or Vans.”

Brands With Surprising Quality Drops:

“I am pretty impressed with Adi-

das’ quality because I feel like they

produce so many colors of [Ultra]

Boosts and NMDs. They managed to

have very good quality even though

they produce so many pairs, which is

impressive. And of course Boost tech-

nology is always impressive; it’s the

most comfortable in the marketplace

right now. I am also impressed with

how they are applying Boost because

I like to have di� erent silhouettes.”

Brand With the Most Promising Future:

“I think Nike will make a comeback.

They’re still doing well, but in terms

of awareness and infl uence and

popularity, Nike will start turning

it around. I feel like Adidas has to

create something new and innova-

tive and di� erent, I feel like people

are getting tired of talking about

[Ultra] Boosts. They have such a

great lineup of infl uencers like

Pusha T, Kanye [West] and Dame

[Lillard]. I feel like Nike does well

with collaborations like with O� -

White and Supreme. Nike is more

aware of the evolving culture, so

they will step it up early next year.

They have a good pulse on evolv-

ing sneaker and streetwear culture,

they know what’s hot across sports,

music, entertainment and art, and

are more connected to their core

customer. [But] Adidas has the more

technological advantage over Nike.”

Who Deserves a Signature Sneaker:

“My fi rst thought is Travis Scott, he

just had that Jordan runner that

didn’t release to the public, but I feel

like Nike should continue to work

with him because he is so infl uential

right now. I was also thinking A$AP

Rocky, but he is working with Under

Armour. [And] Lil Wayne, I feel like

people still consider Lil Wayne one

of the best rappers of our genera-

tion. He hasn’t played in the sneaker

or fashion space, and I feel like even

though he is a little eccentric, people

still consider him one of the greatest

rappers of all time. He is someone

who is a little disruptive, di� erent

and also well-respected. I think he

should only work with Jordan; it

would only make sense. Otherwise

it would be little unrealistic. Jordan

would be really cool.”

MEYHEM LAURENRapper2017’s Most Overhyped Release:

“Any Yeezy; I’m really not a big

Yeezy fan. I’d rather have the regular

[Adidas] Ultra Boosts. I have a lot of

them in di� erent colorways; I love

those, the original style. The olive

green and orange Yeezys, I like those

the best, but I feel that they’re all

very overhyped.”

Best Place to Buy Kicks: “Traditionally,

I was a Jamaica Ave. person. I was a

mom-and-pop guy growing up, but

unfortunately, a lot of those places

closed. These days, it’s more like

House of Hoops, Suplex Philadel-

phia [and] Flight Club that always

have things that are cool.”

Brands With Surprising Quality Drops:

“Adidas. The Ultra Boost is the best

thing to come out in years. Tech-

nology and appearance, I feel like

Adidas had a jump-start with the

shell toe [Superstar], then they put

out a bunch of bulls**t for 25 years,

and now they’re making up for it. In

between the shell toe and the Ultra

Boost, they did not do much for me.

It took 20 to 30 years to think of

something great.”

Brand With the Most Promising Future:

“Nike reigns supreme forever in my

mind; they are not going anywhere.

As cool as the [Adidas] Ultra Boost

is, Nike never fell o� — they have

only gotten better. In terms of the

retros, they are bringing back the

right things. They dropped the

Pegasus again, the [Air Max] 97s

came back this year.”

Who Deserves a Signature Sneaker:

“I defi nitely deserve a sneaker.

Who wouldn’t want a pair of Air

Laurens? Something special with

an air bubble and a cross strap.

Back in the day, I always wished

that [retired NBA star] John Starks

had a sneaker.”

HENRY “HENROCK” FRANÇOISSneaker Influencer2017’s Most Overhyped Release:

“I’ll probably catch heat for saying

this, but I’m going to say the all-

white Yeezy 350 V2s are the most

overhyped shoes of 2017. I’m a big

Kanye [West] fan whether it’s his

music or fashion, [and] I love the

350 silhouette, but it has to do with

the colorway. The all-white meshlike

material is unpractical for everyday

wear. I know a lot of people copped

second-hand, which means they

paid over box. However, if I had a

dollar for every time I heard or read

someone say, ‘I’ll probably never

wear these because I don’t want to

get them dirty,’ I’d have enough to

cop two pairs at its current asking

price. If you’re going to a concert

or bar, I understand not wearing,

but why spend all that money to

have them sit in the closet? They’ll

eventually yellow. Life is short. Wear

your kicks.”

Best Place to Buy Kicks: “I like to shop

at independent retailers. When

you shop at a major chain, a lot of

times their employees are there just

because they need a job. I feel like

people who work at independent

stores live and breathe the culture,

and that way you’re more likely to

build a connection with them, and

this makes the shopping experience

more pleasurable.”

Brands With Surprising Quality Drops:

“Jordan Brand’s quality on the retros

has stepped up, but that came with

a bigger price tag. Nike’s been pretty

consistent over the years as well.

Honestly, I think New Balance’s

quality has been slept on. I got a

pair of the 574 Sport in all-gray;

they’re super-comfortable and make

for a great everyday shoe.”

Brand With the Most Promising Future:

“I could be wrong, but I’d say Adidas

has the most promising future. They

recently passed Jordan and grabbed

the No. 2 spot as the second-biggest

seller in footwear in America, which

people never imagined. Analysts

themselves have always said it

would never happen or that they

never saw it coming. They seem to

have their ear to the street. It’ll be

“The olive green and orange Yeezys, I like those the best, but I feel they’re all overhyped.”Meyhem Lauren

Henry “Henrock”François

Victoria Chiang

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interesting to see what Adidas has

up their sleeve and if they can keep

that momentum going. “

Who Deserves a Signature Sneaker:

“Odell Beckham Jr. should defi nitely

have his own signature line. And

no, I’m not just saying this because

I’m a [New York] Giants fan. From

a talent standpoint, OBJ is arguably

the best wide receiver in the league.

He defi nitely ranks top 10 among

all players. Between his one-handed

catches and his interesting touch-

down celebrations, Beckham is one

the most exciting players in the NFL

today. Hopefully, he can come back

100 percent from his injury and

Nike can give him that signature

line that he deserves.”

CID MERISIERBlogger, Cidthekicks.com 2017’s Most Overhyped Release: “The

whole O� -White x Nike collab. These

shoes have been hyped from April

2017 until its release in September

2017. Personally, I don’t fi nd them

special at all. I appreciate the fact

that Nike worked with Virgil [Abloh];

however, according to me, they didn’t

really create something new.”

Best Place to Buy Kicks: “Since I

reside in Montreal, I’d have to go

with O� the Hook and Exclucity. I

appreciate the fact that both spots

always keep an up-to-date inventory

and always seem to have a special

ace up their sleeves.”

Brands With Surprising Quality Drops:

“I’d have to say Converse. 2017

has seen this historic

brand release out-of-

the-box sneakers that

defi nitely caught my eye.

The Tyler, The Creator col-

laboration was great. They

also brought back the

Converse Fastbreak. The

new collaboration with Comme Des

Garçons also looks amazing.”

Brand With the Most Promising Future:

“If you look at what Adidas has

done this year, sky’s the limit. They

surpassed Jordan Brand as the No. 2

sneaker company in the U.S. Boost,

to me, is the X-factor, the game

changer, the glitch in the matrix that

changed the sneaker game. But I be-

lieve the Jumpman may strike back

like the evil empire in ‘Star Wars.’”

Who Deserves a Signature Sneaker:

“President [Barack] Obama should

have his own sneaker. He inspires

so many people. I’m sure they’ll sell

out like hotcakes.”

WENDY LAM Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Nitrolicious.com 2017’s Most Overhyped Release:

“This is contradicting since I own a

pair, but I think the Balenciaga Triple

S since it’s a play on Skechers, which

I would not see myself wearing. The

ugly-dad-shoe situation should be

banned from closets, but Balenciaga

made it too good to resist.”

Brands With Surprising Quality Drops:

“All the major brands have a promis-

THE BEST SNEAKER DROP OF 2017MIKE “UPSCALE VANDAL” CAMARGO

“The best drop has been the [Nike] Max2 Uptempo in the Michigan color-way, the black and white one with the yellow heel. I bought that the day it came out in July. I like when Nike drops a general release shoe you don’t have to jump through hoops to get, that’s made better and sticks to its truest form and is in its original color-way. It’s a good shoe for shoe lovers that remember when

they fi rst wore it. I bought four pairs

at

box price, size 12, no problem. Shoes like that is what makes it a drop of the year. Hype, to me, it doesn’t sell me on why a shoe is cool.”

JAZERAI ALLEN-

LORD “I love everything Rihanna did with Fenty. Not neces-sarily one particular Creeper, but just the direction of the brand. I just love ev-erything they’re do-ing. [And] the [Nike Air] VaporMax has totally transformed my opinion on the bubble shoe. I would never wear those before, but I just love the feel as well as the look of the VaporMax.”

“HAWAII” MIKE

SALMAN

“The s**t Virgil [Abloh] did with [Nike] is f**king incredible; the deconstruction, repurposing. And getting Nike to let him do that was huge. That’s one of the illest things I’ve seen in a long time. The [Jordan] 1 and the [Air] Presto are my favorites — I’m a huge Presto guy.”

JENNIFER VILLAMIA

“The Nike Air More Money. [And] the retro release of the Nike Air Max Uptempo looks very good; I’m excited for those.”

YU-MING WU “The Nike x O� -White collection was amazing — especially the Air Jordan 1, which was a di� erent take than

what we’ve seen from the brand.”

MACHE

“I am a big fan of the O� -White Nike [Air] VaporMax. They were my favor-ite ones in terms of the way he carried out his vision. It was between that and the Prestos.”

MAYOR

“Got to give it up to Virgil [Abloh] and Nike with what-they produced. The Nike Air Presto x O� -White was my favorite, or the Air Jordan 1.”

VICTORIA CHIANG

“The Nike x O� -White collection — specifi cally the Nike Air Jordan 1. The Jordan 1 is one of my favorite Jordans of all time; it’s such

an iconic, classic model.”

HENRY “HENROCK”

FRANÇOIS

“I’ve always loved Jordan 1s, even before they got super-popular, and the Virgil Abloh O� -White x Nike Air Jordan 1 has to be the best drop of the year. The whole collection is fi re.”

CID MERISIER

“2017 had a plethora of releases, [but] if I had to make a pick, I’d say the Nike [Air] VaporMax.”

WENDY LAM

“Nike Tom Sachs Mars Yard 2.0. I am featured in the ’zine, and Tom Sachs made a pair of size 5 specifi cally for me and personally signed the shoe.”

ing future as long as they play their

cards right. Right now the major

players have great collabs in line

and dope products. I’m not particu-

lar to one brand only.”

Who Deserves a Signature Sneaker:

“My favorite artist, Rihanna,

already has one with Puma, so

it’s been covered.”

JAZERAI ALLEN-LORD Business Development & Partnership, Crush & Lovely 2017’s Most Overhyped Release:

“I’m really over the Yeezy. They all

look the same; it’s beating a dead

horse. The entire Yeezy brand I

could really do without.”

Best Place to Buy Kicks:

“I shop at Rime because it is a female-

owned unisex store, and it’s in

Brooklyn, and they have been there

forever. I appreciate [Susan Boyle’s]

aesthetic and the way she speaks to

young girls. I also go to Six:02, but

for past releases or hyped stu� , I

shop at McLaren Kick Shop.”

Brands With Surprising Quality Drops:

“I love what New Balance does as

far as construction, materials and

fi t. I think that they are super-on-

the-mark. They can’t play the retro

game, but they don’t need to be-

cause you’ll still have the same pair

10 years later. They just give you

a sleek, standard shoe and it feels

good. I’m on foot a lot, and 90 per-

cent of the time, I wear New Balance

because wear and tear of the shoe

and comfort are super-important.”

Brand With the Most Promising Future:

“Adidas, because they know how

to speak to that millennial young

kid. Adidas has a strong hip-hop

relationship, and I feel like they

have a strong presence. I think they

have a great way of speaking to that

demo, and they’re so connected

and ahead. They are dominating

and monopolizing that messaging,

[and] their infl uencers right now

are the people kids want to be.”

Who Deserves a Signature Sneaker:

“Childish Gambino. He is a

representation of, like, 78

percent of young brown kids

and who they are and who they

want to be. I would love to see

him with a shoe, a very streamlined

silhouette. I think people would

want him to be with Puma;

Adidas is too edgy for him.”

Wendy Lam

Brands With Surprising Quality Drops:

“I’d have to say Converse. 2017

defi nitely caught my eye.

The Tyler, The Creator col-

laboration was great. They

Converse Fastbreak. The

they fi rst wore it. I bought four pairs

at

my opinion on the bubble shoe. I would never wear those before, but I just love the feel as well as the look of the VaporMax.”

“HAWAII” MIKE

SALMAN

Uptempo good; I’m excited for those.”

YU-MING WU

“The White collectionwas amazing — especially the Jordan 1a di� erent take than

Virgil Abloh x Air Jordan 1

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As today’s best ballers compete for the next championship, Fila is resurrecting one of its winning ’90s basketball styles, a look worn by former NBA star Jamal Mashburn. The new MB, executed with premium suede and metallic gold accents, arrives Nov. 24.

HARDWOOD CLASSIC01/Shoeof the Week

As today’s best ballers compete for the next championship, Filais resurrecting one of its winning ’90s basketball styles, a look worn by former NBA star Jamal Mashburn. The new MB, executed with premium suede and metallic gold accents, arrives Nov. 24.

HARDWOOD CLASSIC01/Shoeof the Week

28

It was a matter of see, be seen and score some kicks at the Sneaker Con

event in Toronto last month. Collectors cruised through the Enercare Centre showing off their flyest looks, including the Reebok Alien Stompers and the Don C x Air Jordan 2. Vendors, meanwhile, were serving up seriously covetable styles such as the Supreme x Nike Air More Uptempo and the Air Foamposite One in the Knicks colorway.

COLLECT CALLS

02/They Are Wearing

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Suicoke’s best-sellingMoto slide in a spring ’18 colorway

04/ Closet CaseJapanese label Suicoke is giving sneaker lovers a reason to switch their allegiance to sandals. By Jennie Bell

ALL IN AGREEMENT03/ One to Watch

At Suicoke, multiple minds are better than one.

The Tokyo-based footwear brand has an unorthodox approach to design. It oper-ates as a collective, gathering input from individuals whose identities are shrouded in mystery. Together, they craft its line of fashion-focused, tech-obsessed sport san-dals and shearling boots, constantly tweak-ing and improving the styles in the pursuit of perfection.

“It’s basically continuous loops,” said Jinichi Leung, international sales manager. “We always update specs and colors every season to refi ne products, and sometimes we shave down detailed parts which people don’t even recognize. Some say it’s too obsessed, but this is our attitude and DNA.”

Since its launch in 2006, Suicoke has steadily gained a global cult following. Its collection, which retails for $180 to $250, is stocked in roughly 200 retail accounts, including Kith and Ssense.com. And it has become a go-to partner for collaborations.

This year, Suicoke has debuted at least eight collabs with names such as Stüssy, Nepenthes and Highsnobiety. Its joint series of slide sandals with Palm Angels designer Francesco Ragazzi, which debuted on the

runway in June, will prerelease soon on the Palm Angels website. Its wide drop is set for January.

Leung said Suicoke takes on these collaborations “to bring a fresh vibe to consumers and also for our creative team.” He added, “Sandals are a unique category compared to sneakers. Collaborations help to create new demand for customers and give a chance to reach customers who haven’t met Suicoke yet.”

Leung noted that the brand’s primary goal is reset the consumer’s perception of sport sandals. “People easily select wearing sneakers because the item won their citi-zenship,” he said. “However, we are stand-ing at Chapter 1 — or even the prologue — so we would like to contribute to making things progress.”

Suicoke’s collection is noteworthy for its high-performance materials, including Vibram outsoles. The spring ’18 collection will continue this push, according to Leung.

“Antibacterial function is one of the key features in this season,” he said. “The tech-nology is built into the footbed during the manufacturing process. It will not wash o� or wear away, for antibacterial protection that lasts the lifetime of the shoes.”

TOTAL PAIRS “70+ in my closets, between the East and West coasts.”

PERSONAL STYLE “Modern, expensive taste. If I walk by a window and see some shoes, and I’m like, ‘I’ve never seen those, but I want them,’ it’ll probably start around $1,000. That’s usually how it goes.”

MOST EXPENSIVE “The ‘Back to the Future’ [Nike Air Mags]. I spent $6,000, but now they are already up to like $24,000.”

LEAST EXPENSIVE “I recently bought fl ip-fl ops from President Flip Flops. Basically, every time Donald Trump contra-dicts himself, they make fl ip-fl ops with his Twitter [comments]. Those were maybe $20.”

FAVORITE PLACES TO SHOP “London or the U.K. River Island. The Sting is mandatory. Westfi eld Mall has so many things over there that we don’t have here. As far as North Ameri-ca, Flight Club — I feel even basic saying that. Holy Grail in downtown L.A.”

CURRENT FAVORITE PAIR “The Air Mag. I even got the name ‘sWooZie’ in part because of those shoes. When I started falling in love with shoes, I [wore] a lot of Nike and my friends started calling me ‘Nike Boy.’ That evolved into ‘Swoosh’ and then into ‘sWooZie,’ and that all started with the love for the Air Mag, long before they were for sale.”

SHOES ON MY WISH LIST “Nike released these new Jordans that are black and pink, so I had a powwow with my friends, like: ‘Are they hot or not?’ and it was unanimous — all of my friends were like ‘These are ugly!’ I was coveting those a little bit, but now it’s the Air More Uptempos, a specifi c colorway — white and North

Carolina blue.”

STYLE INSPIRATION “Not a lot of celebri-

ties, usually just people on the street. When I go to London, the stu¤ that they do with their shoes is crazy. I never would have thought to lace my Air Force 1s back-ward. Instead of lacing them across the tongue, they lace them across the back.”

DREAM COLLABORATION “I would love to work with Adidas at some point, but I would only do that as a fall-back if Nike was never willing to play ball — only because of the deep roots that the brand has with my brand. I get Nike.”

FOREVER KEEPSAKE “Only one pair. When I fi rst [got] into entertainment, in 2005, I wore Timberlands to a competition on DirecTV, and they saw and sent me this [‘Boroughs Project’] shoe. They got an artist from each borough in New York to design a pair. They are rapid-print, black, white and red checked Timberlands. Whenever I put them on, I stop traª c.”

ADANDE ‘SWOOZIE’ THORNEThe YouTube personality explains how his a� nity for sneakers lent him his trademark nickname.

By Nia Groce

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mandatory. Westfi eld Mall has so many things over there that we don’t have here. As far as North Ameri-ca, Flight Club — I feel even basic saying that. Holy Grail

Timberland’s“Boroughs

Project” boot

they hot or not?’ and it was unanimous — all of my friends were like ‘These are ugly!’ I was coveting those a little bit, but now it’s the Air More Uptempos, a specifi c colorway — white and North

Carolina blue.”

ties, usually just people on the street. When I go to

By Nia Groce

Jordan 13 Retro PremioBin 23

Create anAdventureISSUE Jan 22CLOSE DATE Jan 10

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT LAUREN SCHOR, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER AT 212 256 8118 OR LSCHOR@FOOTWEARNEWS.COM

Outdoor Retailer Winter Issue

outdoor retail house ad .indd 2 10/19/17 10:39 AM

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Love it or hate it, the chunky-sneaker trend is building bridges — between men and women, fashion and athletic brands and even the running and basketball categories.

SUPERSIZE ME 05/Spring Trend

Louis Vuitton’s spring ’18 runway

show featured thick-soled kicks

FO OT W E A R N EWS.CO M32

Ewing Athletics’ 33 Hi men’s model with multicolor knit upper

Two-tone Ozweego III unisex style from Adidas by Raf Simons

Mixed-material men’s retro runner from No. 21

Gucci’s Rhyton men’s sneaker with oversized logo

Triple S distressed unisex style from Balenciaga

New Balance’s 990 men’s colorway in pigskin leather

1What made you want to partner with K-Swiss? “I am obsessed with nostalgia. Nostalgia is one of the great undervalued assets in our society — also K-Swiss is such a historical, rad brand. They go all the way back to Ice-T, when it was real gangster. Sneaker culture is super-fast, and we are seeing massive fragmenta-tion and collaborations. Before athletes started rocking sneakers and being the face of them, that just wasn’t a thing. I thought it would be interest-ing if an entrepreneur would rock a sneaker and see what happens. If it works, it’s in my legacy forever as one of the fi rst entrepreneurs ever to go at it. If it fails, it’s an inside joke with me and my buddies.”

2What was your approach to the collaboration?“I either do a real collabora-

tion or I buy the brand outright, which is the

way I’m building VaynerMedia and its capabilities. I’m a

counterpuncher; I like to react to opportunities. So to K-Swiss’ credit, the president, [Barney Waters], reached out, and I was like, ‘We’ll see — this is prob-ably not going to be my kind of deal.’ I don’t want to be a brand ambassador, but it was a little more serious than that.”

3Does the sneaker you designed with K-Swiss embrace the entrepreneur lifestyle? “Everybody knows that there are unlimited numbers of hardcore entrepreneurs and CEOs and major players wearing sneakers now 24/7. Sneaker culture has not only exploded for people who historically liked sneakers, but they have completely invaded. This is more me riding that wave and paying attention to what’s actually already happened.”

4Whom do you think the sneaker will appeal to? “I believe entrepreneurs are going to be attracted to it, especially ones that give any

crap about me whatsoever. It’s just a fun moment for all of us — the entrepreneur network. I think for sneaker-heads, it was key for me to do subtle things that they would appreciate, like the cork-top [aglets], giving a nod to my wine days, the box, the limited-edition run of it, the distribution of it. I overindex as an entrepreneur, [and] I think with sneakerheads and that culture. So a little bit of that crossover will be cool.”

5Which parts of the Nov. 14 release were you most involved in?

“Just the content, not around the production of the prod-ucts. Patrick [Buchanan, global marketing director], and Barney and those guys, they know what they are do-ing with the product. On the communications side, the creative that you are going to see on Facebook and Insta-gram around my shoes is all controlled and distributed by us — me and my team. A lot of the work you saw from the K-Swiss ‘Generation-K’ campaign and the hero videos, we had a lot to do with that on the VaynerMedia side. We had a lot to do with the creative process of the marketing.”

GARY VAYNER-CHUKThe always-candid entrepreneur and digital personality talks about collaborating with K-Swiss on a sneaker and brand campaign. By Michael K. Conway

06/ Five Questions

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2What was your approach to the collaboration?“I either do a real collabora-

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way I’m building VaynerMedia and

and brand campaign. By Michael K. Conway

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E D I T C A L E N D A R

November ISSUE CLOSE FEATURES

11.06 10.25 Sneakerhead, FN Milestone: Extra Butter FN Insights: Technology Distribution: NSRA Leadership Conference Nov.8-9 (TN)

11.20 11.08 FN Legends: Titan Industries’ Joe Ouaknine FFANY Pre-Show Slippers FN Insights: Education Distribution: FFANY - Nov. 29-Dec.1 Two Ten Footwear Annual Dinner-Nov. 29

11.27 11.15 FN Achievement Awards FFANY Show Distribution: FN Achievement Awards -Nov. 28 FFANY-Nov. 29-Dec. 1

December ISSUE CLOSE FEATURES

12.04 11.22 Women’s Comfort FN Insights: Finance

12.18 12.06 International Trade Show Guide: 1st Half 2018 Year In Review FN Insights: Best Innovations Distribution: Agenda (Long Beach) Jan. 4-5

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Houston, we don’t have a problem. The Astros have become MLB World Series champs for the first time in their 56-year history. That’s good news for the city, which was recently flooded with 51 inches of rain during Hurricane Harvey. After beating the Los Angeles Dodgers (coincidentally, 5-1), Nike took to Instagram with words of congratulations, stating: “If you think that’s where this story ends, you’ve never been to Houston.”

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