SOLE SURVIVOR: Letters from the Editor 003

The moment UConn pulled off a historic comeback victory in the Elite 8 against top-seeded Duke with a last second Braylon Mullins 3 from distance, I immediately thought of Jay Bilas. And when I think of Jay Bilas, I think of Young Jeezy. Or Jeezy, now. I’m old, so he’s still Young Jeezy to me. But if you’re not old and you call Twitter X, you may not remember how Bilas, the longtime ESPN college basketball commentator and former Duke player, would Tweet out Young Jeezy lyrics every morning on his way to work. Then, he would always follow the lyric up with, “I gotta go to work.”

The Bilas Jeezy Tweets were iconic, a longstanding tradition on the platform as memorable as Gucci Mane’s meltdown, Stephen A telling y’all to take a look at a file name, or the Zola thread. Unfortunately, they ended back in 2024 presumably because Bilas ran out of Jeezy lyrics. But not before the tables were turned and Jeezy mentioned Jay (Bilas, not -Z) in E-40's "Function" remix. We love a full circle moment.

So does Nigel Sylvester, who after climbing the ranks of Nike collaborators and taking home pretty much every Sneaker of the Year award under the sun last year for his Brick By Brick Air Jordan 4, tapped the King of the Bricks to model his latest creation. This morning, Nigel and Jeezy both posted to Instagram showing the Snowman in a whole collection of Bike Air apparel being released to accompany Nigel’s new Brick After Brick AJ4.

Some people asked, “Was Gucci Mane not available?” No, he was not, actually.

The sneaker community seems to be very excited about these, as they are a more traditional take on the 4 compared to the last rendition. And Nigel is pulling out all the stops for the rollout, even doing a two-wheeled takeover of the Bike…err Nike campus in Beaverton.

It was a welcomed distraction at HQ during a week when the earnings report sent Nike stock sinking faster than Jaden Ivey’s FG% when the arena plays Future and Cardi B. Despite positive upticks on staples like the Jordan 1 and Air Force 1 and news that the Swoosh would be ramping up Nike Mind production, it wasn’t enough to offset losses from Converse, which is struggling mightily and rumored to be on the trading block. There is still a lot to be hopeful for in the coming year for Nike, though. The A’Two is finally here, Caitlin Clark’s sneaker is on the way. Maybe we hurry up with Wemby’s and Cade’s, even if it isn’t clear if the Pistons will matter on judgement day.

Over on Sneaker Twitter, all the little piggies flocked to the Spaghetti Capital of Hell, Cincinnati, Ohio for the launch of Unheardof’s latest adidas collaboration, this time in a three-pack of colorways, plus one premium F&F edition. The event looked like a lot of fun, but in typical Twitter fashion (see what I did there), the discourse dissolved into hating quite quickly. A greater discussion around Joggers & Jordans from the VAA Alaskas launch carried over into a full blown roast of the artist formerly known as Sneaker Phetish’s cuffed sweatpants.

Many took jabs but Kari held his own and defended the look. There were a lot of people chirping that he should get the pants hemmed but who the hell has time to bring sweatpants to the tailor when there are 412 different Virgil raffles to enter and monitor? Well, 411 if you already knew what kind of bullshit Sneaker Politics was going to be on. Anyways, stay strong Cuff Crew, hold the line. At the end of the day, you have to be you and wear what makes you feel good without worrying if B. Dot is gonna be in your mentions.

Blog Roundup

Our managing editor Nick wrote Sole Collector's obituary after NTWRK (dba Complex) put the final nail in the coffin of the legacy sneaker media outlet by repurposing SC socials to launch their grifty new gambling platform. RIP.

Juan Martinez went on an absolute heater, putting out a number of spot-on lists and retrospectives. From a Sneaker Guide to the Seattle SuperSonics to examining the Final Four through a footwear lens, you can always use Juan's blogs as conversation starters while watching the game with your friends. PS - If UConn takes home their 3rd Men's title in 4 years, Nike better release those Ja 3 PEs.

Staff writer Zach Harris spoke at length with LSU standout and bubbling rapper Flau'jae Johnson to talk hoops, hip-hop, and her new PE pack of Puma sneakers. Really great conversation, get to know her because the Flau isn't going anywhere.

Whether you're with family celebrating Passover, Easter, or just the Final Four, hope everyone has a great weekend we can all remember to just breathe and not get our pants in a cuff.

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.