Making Waves: Why the sneaker space is better when brands take risks
The ‘hype’ sneaker industry is bigger today than it has ever been. However, it is also an industry that is often still reliant on foundations that were laid in the years stretching all the way back to the 1980s. For example, the titanic Jordan Brand has a vast catalogue of footwear that it has released and continues to release to this today. However, rather than exciting consumers with ‘the next big thing’ Jordan Brand’s most popular shoes are the original fourteen shoes that Michael Jordan himself wore during his playing years. Of these, 1985’s Jordan 1 is by far the most popular. These shoes are released in an endless array of colourways, and with special collaborative editions. But even then, some of the most sought after releases are retros that appear in original colours (Don’t believe us? Go look up ‘Chicago’ Jordan 1s on your resale platform of choice). The appetite for the sneakers that took this industry to another level is endless, even if most people buying them have never seen Michael Jordan himself lace them up on court. Retros make big money for the brands that release them.
Releasing popular retros can be held in equivalence to printing free money for industry giants. Beyond this, the demand for them is seemingly always there, making it a very low risk strategy. Yet, as we get further and further away from when trainers like the Jordan 1 were originally released, we argue that sneaker brands need to continue to innovate to keep the culture fresh and relevant. It’s the shoes that are as bold today as the ‘Banned’ Nike Airship was in the 1980s that’ll be remembered in the years to come. As such, this article will demonstrate how the sneaker industry benefits as a whole when big brands take risks on people and ideas that push the boundaries.
Expanding our horizons:
To say crocs are (or have ever been) unpopular would be doing the brand a disservice. After all, over 103 million pairs were sold in 2021. But they’ve never been massively popular with the majority of sneakerheads. That was until recently, when they partnered with talented designer Salehe Bembury. Bembury has already shown his talent at New Balance on existing models. But Crocs took the risk and gave him the keys to the castle, allowing him to design his own silhouette. The resulting Pollex Clog is unarguably both a croc, and something entirely new.
The wrinkled model, moulded from Bembury’s own fingerprint, has had a transformative effect on the perception of the Crocs brand in our corner of the industry. Crocs suddenly became something more than everyone’s lazy errand shoe. The Pollex Clog was coveted, and when it released it sold out instantly. Whilst resale price is not indicative of the artistic value of a project, the aftermarket prices for this shoe are astronomical. More colourways are coming down the pipeline and sneakerheads are watching to see what’s coming next from Crocs, either with Bembury or another designer. Giving Bembury his own shoe will have been costly for Crocs. But by taking a risk and choosing to innovate, they have widened the horizons of sneaker enthusiasts and created a new customer base for themselves.
Credit: Hypebae
Changing the landscape:
There will always be room for the classic silhouettes. But if a brand is willing to take a risk with their design language, the future of sneaker culture could also be theirs. Yeezys have always been a little more ‘out there’ than other hype sneakers. What’s more, this statement has never been more true than when writing about the Yeezy Foam Runner. The shoe looks like a wearable alien, something that would be more at home in 2052 than 2022. When it was first revealed, it looked as though it would be unpalatable to most sneakerheads. But whilst it is certainly divisive, it is also amazingly popular. This is due to its unique looks, relatively low price point and surprising comfort on foot. In short, the foam runner has been another smash hit for Adidas and West. But it takes a certain amount of nerve and belief to put a shoe that strange onto the market and it must be remembered that the success of the foam runner was no sure thing. The result though, is a shoe that makes money now, whilst also potentially influencing shoe design in the year to come.
Credit: Farfetch
Adapting to modern needs:
It is no secret that the mass production of footwear has many negative impacts on the environment. From a business perspective, it’s risky for big brands like Nike with iconic silhouettes to alter the shoes they create to be more environmentally friendly. However, it is a noble cause and also increasingly something that consumers are demanding. By taking risks and continuing to innovate through things like the ‘Space Hippy’ collection (which is made up of a certain percentage of recycled material by weight) Nike is taking small steps towards becoming more sustainable. Make no mistake, it's a risk. Production of these shoes are difficult and often doesn’t provide shoes that look as pristine as their non-recycled counterparts. But the reward for the risk is there too. Beyond the moral victory, if Nike is able to fully commit to more sustainable footwear they would become the market leader in that space, providing the Swoosh with yet another avenue for profit.
Credit: Nike
Cover image credit: Hypebeast