After His Sneaker Blowout: Nikes Creates Special Sneaker For Zion Williamson

There were reports that Zion Williamson the Duke big man would wear the Nike Kyrie 4 instead of the PG 2.5s he’d worn during the sneaker blowout seen ’round the world. Instead, Nike reportedly sent a team of specialists down to Durham, North Carolina, to meet with Williamson the day after the mishap. Per Sports Illustrated‘s Jonathan Jones, Duke head coach Michael Krzyzewski said that Nike flew its “top people” to Duke, where they analyzed Zion’s game and the way shoes performed under his 280-plus pound frame. They then took the findings to China where they oversaw the manufacturing of a more resilient and stable sneaker, which was the revamped Kyrie 4 worn by Williamson last night.

Williamson was asked how hw liked his new sneaks. “The shoes were incredible this game,” Williamson told CBS’s Kevin Skiver. The college phenom was also asked about the specific changes Nike made to the pair. “I couldn’t really specifically tell you if I wanted to,” he said. “I just know they’re a little stronger than the regular Kyrie 4s, so I want to thank Nike for making these, but, yeah, they felt very comfortable.”

Nike’s Self Tying Sneakers Works With An App So Could They Be Hacked?

Nike’s Adapt BBs aren’t even the first pair of smart shoes. Under Armour has been making connected kicks for a while now — it’s on its fourth generation with its HOVR line, with an embedded chip that tracks your footsteps and running pace. Puma also entered the self-tying shoe world with the Puma Fit Intelligence line, which it announced Jan. 31.

Nike and Under Armour say they’re taking data privacy and security seriously with their new shoes. Puma, which is expecting its self-tying sneakers release in 2020, didn’t offer details on its shoe security protocol.

While Nike says it’s kept its connected sneakers safe from hackers, the concern is that as more companies try to make connected shoes, the chances of having a shoe eventually hacked will increase.

The Adapt BBs pair with Nike’s app through Bluetooth Low Energy, a connection protocol that’s often used in smart devices because it allows for longer battery life. The sneaker connection is encrypted, a Nike spokesman said.

However, Bluetooth Low Energy isn’t impervious. Security researchers have found issues with BLE chips that could have allowed hackers to spread malware across hospitals and factories.

Nike’s app will do more than just control the laces on your sneakers. The company wants to collect data through the app to help athletes with their performance

Inside the shoebox for Under Armour’s new line of HOVR sneakers, which have a chip inside that tracks your steps and running activity.

 

Self Lacing Sneakers

Nike Facing Discrimination From Female Employees

 

• Two former Nike employees filed a class action lawsuit against Nike at the District Court of Oregon Thursday alleging sex discrimination on the grounds that Nike pays women less than their male counterparts, promotes women less and offers them smaller annual salary increases and bonuses, according to court filings.  According to a company statement emailed to Retail Dive by a spokesperson, “Nike opposes discrimination of any type and has a long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion. We are committed to competitive pay and benefits for our employees. The vast majority of Nike employees live by our values of dignity and respect for others.”
• However, the two plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit, claim the company fosters an environment “where women are devalued and demeaned” and that “the company hierarchy is an unclimbable pyramid.” They claim that women are passed over for promotions and must “far outshine her male counterparts” to succeed.
• In addition to poor promotion opportunities, former Nike employees Johnston and Cahill also claim the company ignores female employees’ complaints about sexual harassment and discrimination, and that “male bad behavior is rarely penalized.” The lawsuit draws on Johnston’s experience at Nike, from 2008 to 2017, as well as Cahill’s from 2013 to 2017, and other — sometimes unnamed — employees.
• The company has attempted to make up for its “toxic” workplace culture by apologizing to employees, promoting women and raising salaries. Even though the lawsuit claims that the company’s workplace is “hostile” and “devalues its female employees.” Among the chief offenders was Edwards, who, according to the lawsuit, “caused and exacerbated a hostile work environment.”

  The filing also points states that, prior to his abrupt departure in March, Edwards was considered the likely replacement of current CEO Mark Parker and was offered a $6 million retention award by Nike, as well as a 14.3% increase to his salary, just weeks before his resignation. Meanwhile, in 2017, Cahill claims she was paid $20,000 less than a male colleague on her team who did “substantially similar work,” and Johnston alleges that her starting salary was $2,000 less than a male employee hired shortly afterward.

 

“Calling All Creators

adidas has united some of the biggest names in sport, music, and fashion in one room, and turned their discussion into a minute-long film titled “Calling All Creators.”

Sport pros include FC Barcelona striker Lionel Messi, Paul Pogba from Manchester United, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and Connecticut Sun forward Chiney Ogwumike. There’s rapper Pusha T and producer Pharrell Williams, while designer Alexander Wang and supermodel Karlie Kloss fly the fashion flag.

Can You See Someone You recognize?

Many of these creators also dabble in more than just their main field. Pharrell Williams runs his own fashion line, while Karlie Kloss has a TV show. Messi founded a charity organization and Pusha T is also a record label president.

Lionel Messi

 

Pharrell Williams

 

Karlie Kloss

 

Pusha T

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Apple’s 1990 Sneakers Going For $30,000. Do You Own A Pair?

 

When Apple launched its first color desktop computer, in 1990, the tech giant also created a prototype pair of sneakers with its signature rainbow logo.

They were first sold to a lucky Apple employee some time in the mid-’90s, according to BitRebels.  They later sold for only $79 on eBay  back in 2007.

In the years that followed, the whereabouts of the shoes were unknown — until a friend of Leon Benrimon, director of modern and contemporary art at Heritage Auctions, found them at a garage sale in San Francisco.

Now, Heritage Auctions is auctioning off the pair at its Beverly Hills location. Bidding will begin at 11 am on June 11, and the sneakers are expected to go for at least $30,000. The starting bid will be $15,000. The Adidas sneakers, size 9 and a half, are made from the typical white leather material of the times. They feature Apple’s logo on the tongue and on the side. The soles are made from rubber that supposedly doesn’t leave skid marks.

$333.00 for Adidas 3D Printed Sneakers

 The 3D Runner, features a similar design as the one Adidas gifted its medal-winning athletes during the 2016 Rio Olympics. It has a black Primeknit upper, like what what you see on Yeezys or Ultra Boosts, and a midsole made from 3D-printed materials — that’s the main highlight here. Unfortunately, you’ll only have the chance to buy a pair if you live in New York City, London or Tokyo, with pricing set at $333 this Thursday. It has been said it’ll end up on the resell market for hundreds of dollars above its original MSRP.

 

The e-Sneaker

Coming September 2014-Bluetooth Shoes

 

With the Lechal Smart Shoe, you won’t even have to look down. The shoes sync with an app on your smartphone that uses Google Maps to send a vibration to one of the shoes telling the user when and where to turn.

Bata Shoe Museum: For Those Who Love Sneaker Fashions

Converse gave the  media, and  Sole Collector, a private tour of the Bata Shoe Museum’s “Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture” exhibit, in Toronto.

The Bata Museum houses over 1,000 shoes (from a collection of over 13,000), and not only celebrates style, but also helps to tell human history through footwear. In April of 2013, the museum opened this sneaker exhibit, which showcases shoes as far back as the 19^th century, all the way through to today’s culture.

The sneaker collection features  brands like Converse, Nike and adidas, as well as the higher end of things, like Christian Louboutin and Lanvin. There are even sketches on display by Tinker Hatfield and Eric Avar.

The Exhibit closed June 1, 2014

3D Printing and Track Sneakers

New Balance’s SLS uses biomechanical data, motion capture, high-speed video, advanced algorithms, specially-created software, and in-shoe sensors along with help from olympic athletes like U.S. Olympian and current 1500m World Champion Jenny Barringer Simpson, 2012 U.S. Olympian Kim Conley, 2012 Great Britain Olympian Barbara Parker and four-time All-American runner Jack Bolas to create the most precise spike plates on the market