SOLE CALIBER: Letters from the Editor 005

Going The Extra Mile

Effort goes a long way in life. It can make all the difference, really. If we zoom in from society at large to just focus on sneaker culture here for a moment, as we do, a number of instances show how impactful it can be when you put in the extra effort.

Take the latest in a long line of collaborations between Joe Freshgoods and New Balance. Effort was never in question, but time and time again, Joe shows his work like a high school math test. The attention to detail, the strong reference points, the deep cultural resonance of his storytelling through the art of design. It’s all there for you to see and feel in the end product, his three-pack of ABZORB 1890s that nod to the Hype Williams era of big-budget music videos and how we’d peer into these far-away worlds he created through a fisheye lens. [Chef’s kiss]

Sneakerheads respond to effort, always. Sure, they will once in a while buy something they already knew they were into that has also been deemed desirable by the community at-large without a whole heap of world-building around it. But only the extra effort of adding layers of storytelling will convince someone to buy something they previously were not feeling.

The JFG Effect

Not to say people weren’t feeling the 1890s, because some were. Even though initial photos didn’t necessarily do Action Bronson’s two 1890s justice, the storytelling around the Hornet Tusk pair made an impact. The additional context and detail of his grandma sewing similar pieces of fabric to what made up the base layer of the shoe while they watched game shows together was important in encouraging people to care about them. In hand, they hit way harder, but if that story hadn’t been told and that extra effort put forth, maybe they don’t ever make it to the hand.

While the 1890 may have been building up to being a hit, Joe took it over the top and made people need it. The JFG Effect. He made them look like a completely different model, utilizing that base layer as a canvas for printed graphics, adding a whole new element to what we previously thought was possible with the shoe. The definition of next level.

Brick By Brick After Brick

Nigel Sylvester is a great example of this, too. His Brick After Brick rollout is the epitome of effort, bringing fun new experiences to the table seemingly every day that get everyone excited about a shoe they could have just as easily been burnt out on. His enthusiasm and care for the project, and the lengths to which he will go to show how great they are, make all the difference.

Collaborators tend to care a lot and put in that 110% to make sure their project is successful. Nardwuar went on a whole tour doing meet-and-greets with ridiculously long lines of people. The .SWOOSH team went above and beyond with Yu-Gi-Oh! to ensure fans were immersed in the world they created around their collab. Bluetile had whole damn wooden butterfly sanctuaries made to accompany the F&F pairs of their meticulously designed SB Dunk. Melitta Baumeister’s team sifted through God knows how many submission forms by hand to pick who was most deserving of their Sneaker of the Year contender Vomero Premiums. Whether it comes to the design, storytelling, rollout, promotional materials, special boxes, or fun giveaways, collabs typically aren’t the issue here.

Just Do It, OK?

Brands need to put effort in, too, and not just count on their collaborators to make consumers care. Recently, I saw someone on Sneaker Twitter point out how a new Air Max 90 colorway was clearly a reference to the iconic Ultramarine rendition of the Air Max 180. But the product description made no mention of that, something that could have both touched a nostalgic nerve for OGs and given some historical context to newcomers in the space. It felt like low effort on the storytelling end, which is unfortunate for whoever came up with the idea to launch an Air Max 180 in AM90 form. (Hat tip to the Tweeter who saw this and raised the flag, I’m trying to find your post and now can’t because I had too many tabs open and my browser crashed. But if someone else knows what I’m talking about and links me, I’ll add it in here later.)

There is also an Air Max 95 on the Nike online shop right now with an equally puzzling product description. This model is part of a two-pack alongside an Air Force 1 paying tribute to Mexican soccer. The actual Mexican National Team is sponsored by adidas so Nike can’t officially make gear for the squad, but this shoe is for them and their fans. Not that you’d learn that on Nike’s own primary shopping platform. It’s a shame because they are objectively fire and if someone took approximately five minutes and applied just like a tad more effort, they could bang out a quick two or three sentences explaining the context of one of the best Big Bubble 95s available online right now. Maybe if they did, it wouldn’t be sitting collecting dust in every single size.

Generic copy-and-paste product descriptions have become somewhat commonplace throughout Nike’s e-commerce platforms unfortunately, and it doesn’t seem like something that is going to slow down any time soon. In response to eroding market share, especially in the coveted running space, and a struggling stock price, Nike has conducted multiple large rounds of layoffs, the latest decimating the team that built and operated the popular SNKRS app before the AI bots took over.

Death of a Sneaker Salesman

This SNKRS restructuring curiously comes on the heels of Nike introducing SNKRS Verified, a new initiative meant to kill outside sneaker blogs like the one you’re reading right now. SNKRS Verified is described on the site as “an always-on editorial dedicated to the upcoming season's most anticipated drops” and the ultimate source of truth for all things Nike. The goal seems to be getting sneakerheads to check Verified every day instead of scrolling their outlet of choice’s blog or social media, bringing their own base back to, well, their own base.

Couple of problems so far, though. First, saying it’s always on but only updating it every few weeks is certainly a choice. And B, I think whoever was supposed to be handling quality control on these Verified posts got laid off because they launched it with an all-red Foamposite and called it the Red October before trying to Men In Black memory wipe us and change it back to something else less Ye-adjacent.

Half of the shoes on Verified touted as the biggest upcoming drops have already launched. The sneaker blogs they’re trying to make obsolete are putting in the work every day to give sneakerheads what they actually want: coverage of what’s actually coming next, as early as possible. WITHIN REASON LOL

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m rooting for Nike just like most of you are. I love Nike. I wish SNKRS Verified actually did have some groundbreaking info about cool upcoming shoes we’ve never seen before. I wish they still did original content on SNKRS like they did a few years ago. Shout out Brice and Errol from Blondie Beach who had a show on there for a while that was really fun and gave us a reason to stick around on the SNKRS app outside of our weekly ten o’clock L.

Now, just so nobody can say I’m hating, I will give credit where credit is due. After people pointed out the lack of effort on the product description for the Air Max 90 Ultramarine on Nike’s site, they did add it to SNKRS Verified with more context around the Air Max 180 reference. So there’s that.

We’re not asking for a lot, just context and storytelling. We love the product, the art. We know a lot of care and work goes into it. Sometimes, it just feels like the meme of the horse drawing where it starts as an insanely detailed and realistic portrait and ends up as a child’s scribbled doodle. We can all benefit from some follow through, myself included. I wanted to have this blog out a week ago.

Drew London

Drew oversees content at Sole Retriever and hates writing in the 3rd person soooo I'm going to stop. I've written for countless blogs and magazines, from Complex to XXL and everywhere in between. Spent a long time in LA, running content and working on branded collabs at The Hundreds. Now, I'm back home on the East Coast freezing my ass off. Email me at drew@soleretriever.com with scoops, story ideas, and size 13 heat.