Subscribe to The Kicks You Wear with Mike D. Sykes, a drill down on the red hot intersection between sports and fashion.
Good morning, friends! Welcome back to the Kicks You Wear. Thanks so much for spending a bit of your time with me today. I appreciate you.
Hope you’ve got a fantastic weekend ahead of you! I’ve got a brunch scheduled for Sunday I can’t wait to get to at Dirty Habit here in Washington, D.C. That French toast is calling my name. A bit cliché, I know. But don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!
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Alright, gang. Let’s dive in.
Zellerfeld’s big Summer
For years, customers were clamoring for innovation in the footwear industry after wearing retro styles year after year.
What’s happening: This summer, Zellerfeld has popped up in several places to bring plenty of it.
The German 3D-printing footwear brand has partnered with a number of brands and influencers over the last few months, showcasing various aesthetics and functions of 3D-printed footwear. Some of which — I’ll be honest — I didn’t know were possible.
The rundown: Zellerfeld has had quite a busy summer so far:
- Designer and former Nike and Adidas collaborator Sean Wotherspoon launched a 3D printed mule in August.
- The brand released the Air Max 1000 with Nike on Tuesday via the SNKRS app.
- The shoe first debuted in November 2024 at ComplexCon, with select attendees winning pairs.
- Justin Bieber was also spotted in the wild wearing a pair of 3D- printed indoor soccer shoes that Zellerfeld created with the superstar’s SKYLRK brand.
- Sandal brand Havaianas is set to launch a 3D- printed flip-flop in September.
The backdrop: The company isn’t new. Founded in 2015 by Cornelius Schmitt , Zellerfeld has been making 3D-printed footwear for a decade. It’s worked with brands like Yeezy and RTFKT to make footwear that has gone viral and continued to shine a spotlight on 3D- printed footwear across the industry.
Yes, but: There’s an argument to be made that, in this moment, the brand is reaching its zenith — not just because of how well it’s positioned as a leader in 3D-printed footwear, but also because of the palpable desire of the consumer to wear something different.
Consumers have been looking for variety in their footwear through the years. Styles are changing, and footwear is slimming. People are willing to wear more obscure garments from brands that they’re not exactly familiar with, but have quality products. Zellerfeld fits neatly into that pocket.
- That’s why traditional fashion powerhouses like Moncler, Heron Preston, Kidsuper and even Louis Vuitton have partnered with the brand.
- After this week, we can officially throw Nike in that class, too.
By the numbers: That excitement can be seen through the aftermarket sales of Nike’s Air Max 1000 on StockX.
That’s uncommon these days. White whale sneakers that fetch large profits don’t really exist on the secondary market anymore. For this shoe to be one of the few that does genuinely speaks to the excitement around them.
The big picture: The world of 3D printed sneakers seems to be the dose of innovation that people have been looking for on the footwear market. It’s unclear how long it’ll stick around and whether it’ll fall by the wayside just like self-lacing sneakers did a few years back, but one thing is for sure: Zellerfeld has positioned itself to be at the center of this conversation.
Aime Leon Dore x The North Face
It’s been a long time coming for this one, folks. The North Face is launching a collaboration with menswear Aimé Leon Dore later in September.
The details: My colleague, Lei Takanashi, got the exclusive on this one. He spoke with ALD’s Teddy Santis about the collection. Here’s his reporting:
“It’s a partnership that resonates personally with Aimé Leon Dore’s founder, Teddy Santis, who told The Business of Fashion in an exclusive interview that the brand aspires to develop a lasting relationship with the heritage outdoor label. Santis said that Aimé Leon Dore is strategic about its collaborations, which are not only commercially successful but have led to significant tie-ups with brands such as New Balance where Santis has served as the creative director of its “Made in USA” line since 2021.”
My take: This is just a partnership that makes so much sense to me. It remains to be seen if it’ll have a long tail as ALD’s other partnerships with Porsche and New Balance do, but there’s just a ton of overlap on this one.
- As Lei points out in his piece, these are two brands with big followings in New York streetwear and menswear circles.
- Santis and ALD have always played around with outerwear in many of the brand’s previous collections.
- The North Face is looking for a halo to expand its brand a bit more and pick up some slack for the lagging parts of VF Corp.
The other side: If someone were to argue that maybe there’s too much overlap here for this to be beneficial for these brands, I could understand that. The appeal in The North Face has always been in some of its core styles — not necessarily the special editions it’s produced over the years.
VF Corp CEO Bracken Darrell said he wants to double The North Face’s revenue from the $3.7 billion it was at when the company’s fiscal year ended in March. There will surely be a lift from an ALD collab, but it’ll need to do much more if it ultimately wants to achieve that goal.
But…When you think about the success that The North Face has had in the past with other brands like Supreme, KAWS and more, Aimé Leon Dore certainly feels like something that’s worth a shot.
The ATP’s Official Fashion Push
I don’t know how I’m typing this, but the ATP is launching its first collaboration in the fashion world.
What’s happening: ATP and Copenhagen-based tennis brand, Palmes, are launching a capsule collection ahead of the US Open.
- The collection will feature multiple pieces running from t-shirts, polos and shorts to tote bags.
- The collection debuted on Wednesday at Gem Home in New York as well as at Palmes’ Copenhagen flagship. A global release will follow on August 26
Why this matters: This is a continuation of the fusion we’ve seen through the years of sports and fashion on a massive scale. The ATP is the absolute apex of tennis. For it to be working with Palmes in this capacity opens the door for more collabs like this in the future.
While this is a positive thing, it also feels like the ATP as an organization is lagging behind. A partnership like this should’ve happened a long time ago. Other leagues are already waist-deep in the fashion space.
- The NFL hired a fashion editor in Kyle Smith and has already had major licensing deals with brands across a spectrum of categories.
- The WNBA has beauty and fashion partnerships with legacy brands like Coach, Sephora and more.
- Louis Vuitton has been an official partner of the NBA since 2020.
The big picture: Tennis has been one of the sports that has been at the forefront of fashion, mainly because of its players. Stars on the men’s side of the game, like Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, and more have bent (and sometimes broken!) the sport’s obsession with tradition to create their styles through the years to get things to the point that we’re at.
While the Palmes deal is a good move for the ATP, overall, this should only be the beginning of a long embrace with the fashion world for the sport.
What Community Looks Like
Let’s get you out of here with a feel-good story for the weekend. Darryl Glover is a big sneaker collector. He owns more than 1,000 pairs of sneakers and over 300 pairs of Kobe Bryant Nike shoes, specifically. This weekend, instead of collecting, he’s giving away.
What’s happening: Glover is hosting an event called “Sole Scholars” in his hometown of Pleasantville, New Jersey.
- Glover’s foundation is prepared to give away shoes, backpacks, school supplies and hygiene products to students from kindergarten through the 12th grade as they head back to school.
- “This year we went super hard in just reaching out to different brands. Right now, we’re prepared to serve over 1,000 students,” Glover siad.
Who’s involved: Glover said he reached out to multiple brands to provide supplies for the event. His list includes StockX, Foot Locker, Downtown Locker Room, Snipes, The Whitaker Group and L’Oreal USA. Their contributions range from pairs of shoes, backpacks and donations down to gift cards.
Why this matters: The reason for Glover is simple — he wants to give back to his community. “I’m from a super small city. We’re the neighboring city of Atlantic City. We don’t really have a ton to call our own,” he said. “Sneakers are my thing. But I’m using that as a tool to empower kids. Using my thing to inspire and motivate them is what it’s about for me.”
Go Deeper: Find out more information on the event here.
#TheKicksWeWear
Welcome to TKWW, gang!!! For all the new folks, this is the section where we highlight weekly sneaker pics and fit pics from folks in the community.
If you’d like to participate, send me pictures via email at michael.sykes@businessoffashion.com or shoot me some via social on X, BlueSky or Instagram.
First, the homie Jaden got us started with these White Cement Jordan 3s. Classic shoe.
Then, the homie Golden Boy brought out the Joe FreshGoods “Aged Well” 992s.
The homie Sumeet came through with the Patta x Nike Air Max 90s. Wavy vibes.
Then the homie Nate Frost took us home with these INCREDIBLE pics of the Undefeated Jordan 4. Jordan Brand gotta run my guy a check for these awesome shots.
That’s a wrap for today. Great stuff, per usual.
That’s a wrap, gang. Thanks so much for reading today. Hope to see you again next week on Tuesday.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns, feel free to hit me at michael.sykes@businessoffashion.com or tap me on the socials @mikedsykes.
Until next time. Peace and love. Be safe, be easy, be kind. We out.
-Sykes 💯