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6 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7
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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Photograph by JOSHUA SCOTT 7
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
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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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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
FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT LAUREN SCHOR, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER AT 212 256 8118 OR LSCHOR@FOOTWEARNEWS.COM
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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.
4
@kerrywashington in Gianvito Rossi at the Fashion Group In-ternational Night of Stars gala.
5
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
ENTERTAINMENT BY:
VIP DINNER & GALA CO-CHAIRSDR. BOBBY CAMPBELL
Founder & Chairman, BBC International
SETH CAMPBELL Sr. Vice President
Business Development, BBC International
VIP DINNER HONOREES
A. A. Bloom Memorial AwardROBERT McHUGH Retired, Foot Locker, Inc.
Social Impact Award
SHOE CARNIVAL
_
Retired, Foot Locker, Inc.
Social Impact AwardSHOE CARNIVAL
WWW.TWOTEN.ORG
78TH ANNUAL VIP DINNER & GALA
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2017HAMMERSTEIN / THE MANHATTAN CENTER, NEW YORK CITY
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.”
14
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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.” ❚
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FN_Weekly_Full_Page_Bleed.indd 1 11/1/17 9:27 AM
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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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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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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