Good morning, buddies! Welcome again to The Kicks You Wear. Thanks a lot for studying as we speak. Appreciate you giving me a little bit of your time as we speak. Happy Friday! Hope you’ve received an incredible weekend forward of you.
The Business of Fashion is internet hosting its tenth anniversary version of BoF VOICES subsequent week! Mentioned this a number of newsletters in the past, however there shall be some large names talking from throughout industries on the occasion, together with JD Sports CEO Regis Schultz. You can register right here for the worldwide members-only livestream to pay attention in when the time comes! Lock in, of us.
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Steph Curry Splits With Under Armour
I by no means thought I’d see the day that Under Armour and Stephen Curry cut up up, however the day has arrived. Under Armour introduced on Thursday night that it plans to separate the Curry Brand from its enterprise as a part of a $95 million restructuring effort.
Details:
- Curry and his eponymous model will reportedly proceed working independently with out Under Armour after the model is phased out.
- Under Armour says it would proceed to provide Curry’s signature sneakers by way of 2026 — together with the upcoming Curry 13 — because the NBA famous person’s model finds a brand new manner ahead.
Between the strains: The finest manner I can describe this information is stunning.
It was only some months in the past that we had a chat with Curry about his new Series 7 sneakers with Under Armour. He instructed me that he was wanting ahead to increasing the model with NBA star DeAaron Fox and the opposite athletes on his roster. The subsequent large announcement was alleged to be for the Curry 13 — not a giant cut up.
The query is, what occurred? We don’t have all the main points, however whenever you take a look at the larger image of Under Armour’s financials, the cut up begins to make sense.
Zoom out: Under Armour says it estimates that its basketball enterprise, together with the Curry Brand, is estimated to generate $100 million to $120 million in income for the 2026 fiscal yr. The firm additionally mentioned it doesn’t count on to see a large monetary headwind following the separation.
Translation: This is Under Armour saying that the model wasn’t producing sufficient income for the corporate to undergo any actual ache from shedding it.
- The inverse of that appears like Adidas parting methods with Yeezy. The firm endured large losses as a result of Yeezy meant a lot to its enterprise — notably in North America.
- Under Armour is saying that’s not the case right here.
You can see that within the model’s share worth during the last 5 years. The Curry Brand signed on with Under Armour in December of 2020. Under Armour’s inventory has dipped by round 69 % since then. The market additionally didn’t budge a lot when the cut up was introduced on Thursday night.
Curry’s model is not the enhance for Under Armour that it was 10 years in the past at its peak. If something, it’s a wash. That’s why Under Armour let it go.
What’s subsequent: It’ll be enterprise as traditional by way of the subsequent yr for Under Armour by way of 2026, however the Curry Brand’s future is up within the air. Curry has some key decisions to make together with his model.
A few choices come to thoughts.
- Choice 1: The model may stay impartial and work out its personal distribution and improvement methods transferring ahead.
- This gained’t be straightforward. Designing sneakers is tough. Building them is dear. So is advertising and marketing them. This is an uphill battle, however it will give the athlete full management over his model and the opposite names included.
- Choice 2: Curry may discover one other associate. He’s Steph Curry, in any case. Despite his shortcomings with Under Armour right here, I’m positive a model like Reebok, Anta, Li-Ning and extra would like to have him.
On the opposite aspect: This is the true finish of an period for Under Armour. Curry was, by far, the most important athlete and model ambassador the corporate has ever had. For issues to finish so unceremoniously like this seems like a blight on the model.
It makes you surprise why Under Armour agreed to deal with the Curry Brand in 2020 within the first place. I questioned the rationale behind the deal again in 2020 when Under Armour initially introduced it. The launch of the Curry Brand struck me as a ploy by (then) CEO Patrick Frisk to maintain Steph round.
- The model was in monetary bother with the SEC referring to monetary disclosures in 2015 and 2016.
- The model was additionally forcing its manner out of large licensing offers with faculties across the nation, together with a $280 million contract with UCLA.
It appeared very clear to me that Under Armour wasn’t in one of the best place to launch a subsidiary model for an athlete with a cooling signature line on the time. Sadly, it appears I used to be proper.
The backside line: The fallout from that is simply starting. Regardless of the course Curry chooses, it is a important shakeup for the efficiency footwear market. It resets the enjoying area in a manner I don’t assume anybody noticed coming.
What we’re about to see right here is probably essentially the most fascinating sneaker free company in sports activities since Kevin Durant almost left Nike in 2016. Buckle up, of us. This may get wild.
Mary Janes Are In
Data from StockX’s newest “Big Facts” pattern report for 2025 could supply a glimpse into what the subsequent bizarre footwear phenomenon appears like.
It’s Mary Jane sneakers.
- For the uninformed, Mary Janes are round-toed girls’s sneakers with a strap throughout the highest. They are available kinds starting from flats to heels and, sure, even kicks.
Details: Mary Jane kicks are having a second.
- According to the report, Adidas’ Samba Jane sneaker, which dropped in June, was the highest-selling new mannequin for the model on StockX’s platform.
- The Onitsuka Tiger TGRS was additionally Onitsuka’s highest-selling mannequin on StockX.
- Sales for Nike’s Air Rift jumped by 21 % yr on yr on the platform and searches for the mannequin elevated by 137 %.
Zoom out: Mary Jane sneakers aren’t essentially new. Nike’s Air Rift, for instance, has been round since its unique launch in 1996 and has had a number of notable moments all through the years. But extra have entered the fray and those that have been beforehand there appear to be doubling down on this type of footwear.
Be sensible: This new stylistic takeover of {the marketplace} shouldn’t be all that shocking. Footwear has grown progressively weirder over the previous couple of years, with manufacturers introducing items made in a variety of various kinds and supplies. The zenith of the pattern that most individuals will most likely level to is 2023’s Big Red Boots from MSCHF (who can even be at BoF VOICES!), which had influencers wanting exterior wanting like Astro Boy.
There are manifestations of this pattern that aren’t so over-the-top — assume the sneaker idler pattern we’ve seen during the last yr, sparked by New Balance’s 1906L, or the slimmed-down fashions that took over 2025. This new, fashionable Mary Jane look falls into that class. It’s the sneaker-fication of a mode of shoe that got here roaring again from the previous.
The large image: This is a superb instance of what innovation in footwear actually appears like. Again, the Mary Jane type isn’t new. However, it’s one thing completely different that folks haven’t seen, and that’s simply as efficient as constructing one thing from scratch.
Nike’s Sustainability Effort
It’s been some time since we’ve heard any constructive information on Nike’s efforts in sustainability, however this week got here with excellent news.
Details: Nike has reached multi-year offtake agreements with textile-to-textile recycling startups Loop and Syre, my colleague Shayeza Walid experiences. The phrases of the offers haven’t been disclosed, however every is about to shift Nike’s sustainability infrastructure.
- The take care of Syre is about to make the corporate Nike’s lead strategic provider for textile-to-textile recycled polyester.
- The take care of Loop grants Nike entry to the corporate’s Infinite Loop Twist resin — a recycled polyester constituted of textile waste. The model will use it in numerous product strains beginning in 2028.
The why: This is all half of a bigger sustainability effort on Nike’s half to curb its environmental impression. Here’s Walid with extra:
“Adopting more recycled materials forms part of Nike’s ambitions to curb its environmental impact. The company described developing closed-loop recycling that turns old clothes back into usable materials as its “highest aspiration” in its 2023 sustainability report, the final one it printed earlier than shifting to a extra data-focused reporting method.”
The different aspect: It was very refreshing to see this information coming from Nike. The model had been comparatively quiet on sustainability during the last couple of years.
Zoom out: While Nike hasn’t appeared to draw back from its dedication to sustainability, it actually felt honest to query the state of issues, contemplating all the attrition taking place within the background.
The backside line: Nike nonetheless has quite a lot of work to do within the space of sustainability, beginning with hiring a brand new chief officer to steer its efforts. But that is pretty much as good an indication as any to point out that the corporate hasn’t forgotten about it.
Jeremy Scott Returns
Never thought we’d get to the purpose the place we’d see an Ugg boot get retroed. Not solely are we there, nevertheless it additionally doesn’t actually appear that loopy!
What’s new: Jeremy Scott’s flame Ugg boots are restocking after eight years.
- The boots first launched in restricted portions in 2017.
- Scott utterly reworked the traditional fleece-lined tan boot into one thing completely new with flame graphics masking the higher.
My take: Maybe it is a little bit of a scorching take contemplating all that Jeremy Scott has created — his initiatives with Adidas are absolute classics. But these Ugg boots is perhaps on the high of my record for Scott initiatives. They’re superior.
The why: The Ugg boot is so easy and quiet. It has a traditional look that I’d by no means assume to shift. To take that and remodel it into one thing so loud and abrasive is extraordinarily spectacular to me. It’s additionally traditional Jeremy Scott.
The different aspect: I do surprise how deep the thrill for these shall be. It’s price noting that the Uggs have been first launched when Scott was on the peak of his powers as Moschino’s artistic director in 2017. He was a scorching identify on the market that everybody wished to work with.
Today? He’s not with Moschino. Everything he touches doesn’t flip to gold. He hasn’t had a high-profile job shortly.
How does that impression this nostalgia play? We’ll have to attend and see. Regardless, I’m right here for a 2010s comeback. Let’s give this Y2K stuff a break.
#TheKicksWeWear
First, the homie Charlie got here by way of with these Runfalcon Adi joints. GREAT each day shoe.
The homie Bwalla got here by way of with these beautiful ACG joints. Really pleased to see the ACG comeback nowadays.
The Northern Lights Dunks! Y’all! Oh man. What a pair from the homie Saoirse. Sheesh.
The homie Jess despatched us house with these Animal Print Forces. DEFINITELY NOT DAD SHOES.
SMOKED it. Great stuff, gang.
Thanks for studying, gang! Hope you loved the e-newsletter.
If you’ve got any questions, feedback or considerations, attain out to me through e-mail at michael.sykes@businessoffashion.com or shoot me a message @MikeDSykes through socials.
Peace and love. Be protected, be straightforward, be sort. We out.
-Sykes 💯