Number 33 Source: N33 x COMUNITYmade We developed this model in collaboration with Nº33 founder Justin Eldridge to bring some flavor to golf and supreme comfort to your game. Great brands bring out the best in each other and we are both committed to building community so – game on! This is a limited edition model….
Source: Timberland’s Pillars for Community Service Two weeks ago, I wrote a scathing post on Timberland. My frustration stemmed from Timberland’s apparent lack of support for their positions on social injustice and their lack of support for the Black community when they are one of the few outdoor brands who has consistently benefited from the…
There has been a lot of talk about increasing diversity at Sneaker Companies. That conversation tends to be around design. There are an abundance of opportunities in the industry. Job availability at this time may be limited because of COVID-19, but you need to be aware of what is out there. Here is a list…
Source: NEW BALANCE AND JADEN SMITH LAUNCH NEW FOOTWEAR COLLABORATION Willow just dropped details on her collab with Onitsuka Tiger; and not to be outdone Jaden and New Balance collide to create a vegan friendly sneaker for the Icon emcee and actor. OnitsukaTiger × Willow Smith But… This wouldn’t be an arch-usa.com post if I…
Source: A design program in partnership with Pensole at the Brooklyn Creator Farm supported by Pharrell Williams. Less than a month ago I wrote a post scratching the surface of the problem of creating diversity in the sneaker industry: adidas’ Dilemma, Nike’s Reality and All Industries’ ‘Truths’: a Paradox On the Difficult Path to Equality…
7-24-2020 Update: I decided to dig deeper into Timberland and discovered that the company has been doing a lot of work. My post below created a dialogue with the team at Timberland and I’ve adjusted my position on this matter. This is an instance of “Good Trouble” with the potential for a better story. Read…
We Hike To Heal ? The Outdoor Journal Tour I wrote a post a few days ago explaining in detail that Merrell has very few Black employees and that Black people have barely heard of the company. It’s not my goal to make Merrell look like the example. I can’t do that. Even their own…
Dwayne Fields (pictured above) is the first Black Britain to make it to the magnetic North Pole. How about that for a bit of trivia? (I’m about to deviate.) Dwayne’s story is what I expect from major brands who chase after Black and Brown dollars, but these aren’t the stories being told by Nike, adidas…
Visit the AAFF site In true fashion, I arrived to the Zoom Conference late… Don’t laugh at that. If you laugh at that you are reinforcing stereotypes of Black people. Here is the problem though, Black people reinforce this stereotype themselves. I’ve done it and didn’t even think about it. I’ve utilized the phrase “CP…
ANTA’S DIVERSE LA DESIGN TEAM 3yrs ago ANTA (China’s #1 Footwear Brand) allowed me to compile the most diverse footwear design team in the industry. … 10 comments on LinkedIn Source: Sean OShea on LinkedIn: ANTA’S DIVERSE LA DESIGN TEAM 3yrs ago ANTA (China’s #1 Footwear | 10 comments I’m in the process of…
Social media and websites for Adam Port: https://adamport.com/ https://www.instagram.com/artofadamport/ https://youtube.com/artofadamport https://twitter.com/@artofadamport Adam Port is an artist based in NYC. His choice of painting is Photorealism. The artform recreates images with a photo level quality that is amazing. Prior to the quarantine Adam was launching a series named Art of the Sole at the George Billis…
Source and picture from adidas: CREATING LASTING CHANGE NOW The picture above is from the adidas website. I wrote this after reading about and listening to the accolades placed on sneaker brands for working on problems with workplace racism. Systemic racism prevents the ability to educate where it’s needed the most; with White people. White…
AndThem is the creative agency. https://www.andthem.com/ GoodThin.gs is the social impact driver. https://www.goodthin.gs/ NinetyNine Products is the in-house brand. https://www.ninetynineproducts.com/ I was able to catch up with Bri Laboss of the three pronged creative agency And Them to discuss NinetyNine Products. Bri is what I label the Chief Everything Officer she takes on a variety…
Antonio Jones and his daughter #minimogul I got a chance to sit down and Zoom rap with the founder of RFCC (Rough Feathers Clothing Company). RFCC is based in Memphis and Antonio Jones is not just the founder, he is also the designer, warehouse team and website designer. He works full time as a graphic…
Pre-Order my new book “Sneaker Resale & Retail in the New Normal”: https://arch-usa.com/product/sneaker-resale-retail-in-the-new-normal-navigating-the-sneaker-industry-in-a-dtc-world/ adidas is partnering “with Allbirds, as we seek answers on our joint mission to create a sports-performance shoe with the lowest carbon emissions.” This is an admirable task, but is definitely worth a deeper dive. Allbirds is a company built on the…
As an avid consumer of all things kicks I spend a lot of time watching documentaries. The majority of sneaker culture documentaries utilize the same people over and over and tell the same stories. The narrative is redundant and tends to focus on two basic topics: Michael Jordan created sneaker culture – which isn’t true….
Four important sneaker industry stories: 1:13 ASICS decreases their carbon emissions 27,9% of every pair of shoes made: https://corp.asics.com/en/press/article/2020-05-25-1 3:25 adidas utilize art in the upcoming release of their new futbol/soccer boots. The Uniforia collection is, “Revealing striking new colour designs across our Predator , Nemeziz , Copa and X franchises with the release of…
Social media and websites for Adam Port: https://adamport.com/ https://www.instagram.com/artofadamport/ https://youtube.com/artofadamport https://twitter.com/@artofadamport Adam Port is an artist based in NYC. His choice of painting is Photorealism. The artform recreates images with a photo level quality that is amazing. Prior to the quarantine Adam was launching a series named Art of the Sole at the George Billis…
Visit: https://www.goodthin.gs/ I’ve been writing a series of posts on new sneaker and footwear companies on the site. Smaller companies are taking chances and being a lot more thoughtful and innovative in their delivery of concepts. The problem is consumers are being sold the same shoes over and over on larger social platforms and websites…
Updated (May 1st, 2020) I wrote this post in 2016. I decided to update and add the information at the bottom of this post today. Amazon is full of Chinese counterfeits and they’re driving out legit goods Source: Amazon is full of Chinese counterfeits and they’re driving out legit goods I know the picture above…
Lakai Shoes & Apparel – Shop the best Skate Footwear from the official Lakai Limited Online Store – Free Shipping on orders $75 or more. Source: Lakai Limited Footwear | The Shoes We Skate When I heard that Tony Hawk, fresh off of his appearance on the Masked Singer, was signing to Vans it struck…
Source: Sustainable Running Shoes | Athletic & Performance Footwear | Allbirds The analysts in the footwear industry have been touting the trend of athleisure and the decline of performance footwear for years. I’ve been pushing back with the comment that categorization for footwear no longer holds as a correct means of segmenting the sportswear category….
