Krewe Quarterly Newsletter for Q1
- Travis Epps
- Apr 9, 2024
- 7 min read
Top Quarterly Footwear News
5 Million Dollar Sneaker Bust
5 Million dollars of stolen Nike goods were found in a warehouse in Los Angeles this past January. This comes just months after 5 million dollars worth of stolen Nike, Adidas, Supreme and more highly sought after fashion goods were found in Chicago last October. The only way to accumulate 5 million dollars worth of goods has to be an inside job. Just 3 years ago, Nike’s Vice President’s son was found to be running a resale business by taking advantage of employee discounts for limited sneakers leading to the VP’s resignation. These type of things have been going on for a long time within the industry and with how much money that can be made on the resell market. It will not be ending anytime soon.
-written by Drew Lewis
Donald Trump Attends Sneakercon
The day after NY fined Donald Trump $355 million for fraud. He showed up to Sneakercon in Philadelphia and released a signature line of Trump sneakers that retailed for $399. People were paying thousands of dollars on the resale market for them. This was a very controversial topic in the sneaker industry because many people felt like he was mocking the sneaker industry. I’m pretty confident that this wasn’t on anyone's bingo card for 2024.
-written by Drew Lewis
Kanye West Sued by adidas
After terminating its relationship with Kanye back in 2022. Adidas has been selling the rest of the Yeezy inventory that they had left over. Kanye has been calling them out for selling ‘fake Yeezys’ because they are selling colorways that he never approved. Kanye also claims that the brand is suing him for 250 million.
-written by Drew Lewis
Local Footwear News
Did you miss another Shakeback Sunday?
We know a few things are certain, life, death, taxes, and Shakeback Sunday at Sneaker Politics on the first Sunday of every month. If you attended during the February store event, you would have enjoyed the change of pace on this particular Sunday. Food and pop-ups were brought into and outside of the sneaker retailer highlighting black businesses for Black History Month. Particularly at the New Orleans storefront, we delved into a pop-up from Bside Studio which used their expertise to work with customers who chose to customize apparel and accessories such as a hat in store. I’m telling you this so that you can be on the lookout for the next Shakeback Sunday and whatever it might entail.
-written by Travis Epps
Louisiana Native Bimma Williams Works with Saucony
While the brand Saucony is still slept on by most, New Orleans has representation via a Louisiana native that recently started working with the brand. Bimma Williams is a marketing consultant, who has ties to Nike, and co-founded the media/podcast company, Claima, to help black creatives carve out a career for themselves. Recently, Williams worked with Saucony to release the Claima x Saucony 3D Grid Hurricance “NOLA”. So add this sneaker to the list of clean-looking, encapsulating New Orleans related sneakers for you to go cop.
-written by Travis Epps
Footwear Brand News
Click your favorite brand to see the latest Quarterly news.
Nike
Nike Air Max DN, the Next Generation of Air
The month of March is all about celebrating Nike’s Air Max lineage. Leading up to the 26th of the month, the sneaker community anticipates whatever release Nike has lined up for Air Max Day from year to year. This year was no different with the release of the new Air Max DN silhouette which features Nike’s dynamic air cushioning technology. Sneaker connoisseurs and Air Max lovers alike gathered at community sneaker events hosted by boutiques such as Sneaker Politics on the day of the release to celebrate the release of the model. With mixed feelings coming from social media, we shall see if this sleek new Air Max becomes iconic or fades into Nike’s long catalogue of Air Max.
-written by Travis Epps
Nike Book 1, Devin Booker's First Silhouette
Nike basketball is attempting to return to form to the times when athletes Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and Kevin Durant each had signature sneakers that were highly coveted by hoopers and sneaker collectors alike. Unfortunately for Nike, in this Y2K runner era that we currently live in, it’s hard to convince the average sneaker wearer to put on a pair of basketball shoes. However, can the introduction of Devin Booker’s signature sneaker, the Book 1, be the perfect median between a basketball sneaker that can be worn both on and off the court? With so many PEs being worn by Booker on the court, I’m going to reserve judgment for when a multitude of his actual colorways reach the masses and get worn out in the wild. So far, with just a few released colorways, his signature shoe has caused a stir on social media; so let’s see how this plays out.
-written by Travis Epps
Travis Scott & Drake Signature Sneakers Revealed
Are Travis Scott fans excited for his new Jumpman Jack silhouette? Has Drake finally made a sneaker that we all agree doesn’t look too bad? The jury is still out on both of those questions, but we do know what’s coming next from the two rappers. Scott’s new Jordan model will be released by Nike likely in the coming weeks (See the Top Footwear Releases Coming in Q2 below); while images of Drake’s next model from his NOCTA brand called the Tread Lightly Hot Step II have been leaked to give us a glimpse of what Drake has been wearing while on tour. Are you looking forward to either the Jumpman Jack or the next NOCTA sneaker?
-written by Travis Epps
Jordan Brand
Jordan Brand Reveals the First World of Flight Store in the US
The future of Jordan Brand retail stores is coming to Philadelphia. The first “World of Flight” store in the U.S. began in December 2022. The “World of Flight” stores have been opening up around the world. So far, there are 5 locations: Milan, Dubai, Tokyo, Seoul, and Beijing. There is no confirmed timeline on when the Philadelphia store is expected to open.
-written by Drew Lewis
Usher Performs in Custom Air Jordan 4s at the Superbowl
The shoes worn during the Super Bowl halftime show have become something that everyone looks forward to as part of the Super Bowl festivities. “What will the halftime performer have on feet?” is a question that's asked. In the past, we’ve had Travis Scott wear his Olive 6s, J Balvin wear his 1s, Justin Timberlake wear custom Tinker Hatfield 3s, Eminem wear custom Fire Red 3s, and more iconic sightings. This year's shoe was a custom Jordan 4 that resembled the Military 4s with a chrome upper and the Ushers’ logo on the back. Nike actually didn’t create these in their factory. They actually outsourced them to be customized by The Shoe Surgeon.
-written by Drew Lewis
adidas
Is adidas Basketball taking over?
Adidas is taking over the basketball sneaker market with multiple hot silhouettes. The Harden Volume 8, Anthony Edwards 1 and the Fear of God Athletic 1. The shoes are beautifully designed with a simplistic but futuristic approach. Also, the rise of Anthony Edwards stardom plays a part in the aura of the shoe. The amount of Harden Vol. 8 and AE1 worn in the March Madness tournament just shows the impact and popularity that Adidas is having on the basketball market right now.
-written by Drew Lewis
New Balance
New Balance 1000 Set To Return
New Balance is digging into the archives once again to push another obscure running type sneaker. The New Balance 1000 is getting the Joe Freshgoods and Teddy Santis touch to introduce the consumer to an archived silhouette by adding the collaborator hype to a shoe that the brand plans to mass release. The set of two colorways to be released by Joe Freshgoods is already being released this month and now available to win via raffle on Freshgoods website at joefreshgoods.com. We’ve also seen a couple colorways that look to be coming from Teddy Santis’ brand, Aime Leon Dore, in the near future as well. We know New Balance die hards will be looking forward to the 1000, but how will the rest of the sneaker community respond to the re-emerged model? Time will tell.
-written by Travis Epps
New Balance 1906r Heating Up
While the 1000 is patiently waiting to enter the game, the New Balance 1906r is already on the field making an impact. Thanks to collaborations by ALD in 2023, Salehe Bembury and Kith in Q1 of 2024, and Action Bronson’s colorways on the way, the flame that was already lit is growing with the gas of collabs that’s fueling it. We’ve been receiving great general release colorways but what Bembury and Ronnie Fieg at Kith have done so far to put their flavor on this silhouette is nothing short of great. Please, if you haven’t already, get your feet in a pair of New Balance 1906r’s.
-written by Travis Epps
ASICS
ASICS Collaborates with Hidden NY.
Hidden NY has been a digital phenomenon in the last couple of years particularly on Instagram. They continue to make a cultural impact on social media which has translated into influence IRL. It only makes sense for brands to align themselves with the anonymous social media account that seems to be heavily in touch with pop culture. ASICS is making the right move by collaborating with the brand, and releasing the GEL-NYC for all of the “if you know, you know” crowd. If you missed the initial release, the Hidden NY. GEL-NYC is coming to certain retailers this month on April 12th.
-written by Travis Epps
Salomon
FEID is an Ambassador for Salomon
While Salomon tends to not share too much about what they have coming down the pipe in terms of footwear for their niche followers, the brand seemed to be very open and excited about signing the Colombian singer, FEID. Based on Salomon’s reasoning behind signing the artist, his style, aesthetic, and love for Salomon footwear make it an easy partnership for both parties. If you want to read more about this alliance, head over to Salomon’s website.
-written by Travis Epps
Saucony
The Next Jae Tips x Saucony
Jae Tips x Saucony has been one to remember, and they are not done yet. After releasing one of the best shoes of 2023, Saucony Grid Azura 2000 ‘Remember Who Fronted.' He released two Saucony Grid Shadow 2 colorways late last year. He looks like he may have another banger in the making. The ProGrid Omni 9 releasing later this year may be even better than his first release and will garner some attention for the Top 10 list at the end of the year.
-written by Drew Lewis
HOKA
HOKA Collabs with END. Clothing
HOKA’s standout collaboration of the first quarter of this year came from the British retailer and brand, END. Clothing. Inspired by off road traveling in a four wheel vehicle, END. lended a clean aesthetic to the rugged HOKA models, Mafate Speed 2 and Kaha Low. With green and beige hues, this set of sneakers is ready to be worn through the dirt and silt of a trail or through the even surfaces of the streets. Still, this END. HOKA collaboration does not short you on wearability for everyday of the week.
-written by Travis Epps
Off-White
Off-White for Hoopers?
Off-white revealed photos of a basketball shoe dubbed ‘The Baller’ that literally looks like a basketball, featuring three colorways: a basketball leather, green basketball leather, and also a black pair that is bedazzled. People in the sneaker world are questioning if the late great designer ‘Virgil Abloh’ would have approved of this, as they are not popular among potential consumers. There is no doubt whether they are liked or not by popular opinion. I expect to see them on NBA courts once they are released later this year.
-written by Drew Lewis
YEEZY
YEEZY Pods for Only $20
The YEEZY Pod. If you’ve seen this shoe/sock, you’d know there’s not much to say about it. Other than the fact that Kanye West is again trying to break the mold of what we deem as fashionable footwear, the YEEZY Pod would be a questionable choice of something chosen to be on someone’s feet. But who are we to judge? Maybe someone can pull it off besides Ye, and for $20, it’s worth a try I guess. If you're daring enough, the YEEZY Pods are available currently in just three sizes (1, 2, 3) on yeezy.com.
-written by Travis Epps
ANTA
Kyrie's First Signature Shoe with ANTA
Kyrie parted ways with Nike in 2022 and signed with a Chinese brand, ANTA. The ANTA KAI 1 is one of the better-looking basketball silhouettes released recently. For some reason, every shoe Kyrie touches looks great on court. The sneaker “Artist on Court'' debuted on March 6 for $125. They are now sold out and going for $300+ on the resale market. If you want a pair, look out for updates about the next release on ANTA’s website.
-written by Drew Lewis
Crocs
More Crocs!
Crocs have been on a tear the past few years, releasing a collaboration that feels like every other week. This year, they have already released Hello Kitty, Barney, NASCAR, Futura, Toy Story, Naruto, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Disney Stitch, Jolly Rancher, and many more. At this point, if you can think of a theme, I’m sure Crocs has released a pair based on it. If not, they may be in the works with upcoming releases in 2024, such as Captain Marvel, SpongeBob SquarePants, Pokémon, Mandalorian, and Balenciaga to name a few.
-written by Drew Lewis
Best Footwear Releases of Q1
Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined
There were a lot of questions about whether or not people were going to like a leather Bred Jordan 4. Still, I think there are some that feel classic sneakers should not be altered after this recent release. However, it’s undeniable that the Reimagined Bred Jordan 4 was one of the consensus most sought after sneakers of the first quarter of the year. It should be on the top sneaker releases at the end of this year.
-written by Travis Epps
CLOT x adidas
Clot is an iconic streetwear label created by Edison Chen founded in 2003. It has a long storied history with many collaborations with Nike dating all the way back to 2006. Edison recently left Nike and signed Adidas. A brand known for giving its creators more creative control over the design aspect of its sneakers. Edison debuted his first Adidas sneaker featuring a classic white/black Shell Toe with premium leather and handcrafted midsole and tailored ridges. This release was a huge success, as they were hard to obtain on release. He is set to release an all black pair with white stripes on April 6 as he continues to write his storied legacy.
-written by Drew Lewis
Salehe Bembury x New Balance 1906r
While nearly impossible to attain, it’s undeniable that Salehe Bembury dropped another banger with New Balance. Two sneakers almost as equally appealing, Bembury added some heat to the New Balance 1906r almost quite literally with the influence of magma and lava colorways. The sciency marketing campaign project by Bembury prior to the release didn’t let us down and added even more excitement to the already rambunctious colorways that captivated an audience as soon as they were teased by Bembury. Unfortunately, many fans were let down by the ability of bots to strip the sneakers from our hands. But what are you going to do? Pay $600+ for the shoe now? You absolutely might!
-written by Travis Epps
Undefeated x Nike Air Terra Humara
I’m not sure if Nike plans to bring back the Nike Air Terra Humara to the sheleves, but if they are, it was genius to utilize the folks at Undefeated to collaborate with on this ACG looking silhouette. While rugged looking, all four colorways fit into this Y2K, minimalist, outdoor era that has become more widespread within the fashion and sneaker industry. However you want to frame this period of time that we’re living in, just know that this shoe can be deemed as underrated and timeless. Furthermore, they’re readily available in many sizes on the Undefeated website because people still don’t see how great they actually are yet. So get them before they're gone.
-written by Travis Epps
Bodega x Saucony Grid Shadow 2
Saucony has been in their bag lately as they released another banger with its collaboration with Bodega. The Grid Shadow 2 ‘Jaunt Woven’ featuring green, red, white, and gray is made up of a hemp material on the upper with a gum rubber sole. This release was unexpectedly hard to get as they surprisingly sold out within a couple minutes on release day. Unfortunately, if you want a pair, you’ll have to search the resale market to get your hands on them.
-written by Drew Lewis
What was your favorite sneaker that released in Quarter 1?
Jordan 4 Bred Reimagined
Clot x adidas
Salehe Bembury x New Balance 1906r
Undefeated x Nike Air Terra Humara
Top Footwear Releases Coming in Q2
Jordan 4 'Industrial Blue'
The Jordan 4 is the most popular Jordan silhouette at the moment and there isn't a shortage of colorways releasing. This pair is special though. Inspired by the Military Blue 4s, one of the four OG colorways for this model. Majority white shoe with industrial blue hits throughout and gray toe guard. Set to release on May 25th, I have a feeling these will be seen a lot on foot this summer.
-written by Drew Lewis
JFG x New Balance 1000
We mentioned Joe Freshgoods’ next installment with New Balance in an earlier segment of this newsletter, but let’s add a little more to the conversation. This is certainly a collaboration that we are looking forward to by the Chicago native Freshgoods. He's the best sneaker storyteller in the business. This is his 8th installment of footwear releases called “When Things Were Pure”. Check out Freshgoods' Instagram page to see how he tells his story and rolls out this release.
-written by Travis Epps
Travis Scott Jumpman Jack
Travis Scott has been releasing heat for Nike collaborating on various different models such as the Jordan 1, Jordan 4, Jordan 6, Air Force 1 and Air max 1 and many more. Now it's time for Nike’s biggest star to debut his first signature sneaker. The Jordan Jumpman Jack Trainer. This release will have a lot of hype around it featuring Travis’ familiar brown/sail color blocking. Set a reminder for April 30th on SNKRs as these will sell out fast.
-written by Drew Lewis
J Balvin x Air Jordan 3 'Rio'
Unless Jordan Brand delays the release, we do know that J Balvin is releasing another colorway of his Air Jordan 3 he's nicknaming “Rio” in May. The name is in reference to the artist’s young son, and the sneaker features these colorful sunlight accents that hit across the heel, midsole, sole, and sock liner. A sequel to his predominantly white/cream Air Jordan 3 that seemed to be respected by sneaker enthusiats for its clean look. Now, we wait patiently for the “Rio” to hit the SNKRS app and the shelves at retailers.
-written by Travis Epps
Nike Kobe 8 'Venice Beach'
Kobe Nike sneaker line is set to release another protro on April 13. This classic sneaker inspired by Venice Beach dons a mix of red, yellow, blue and gray hues. Perfect sneaker to wear during the summer with its bright colors. Originally released in 2013, this sneaker will be sure to have sneakerheads old and new trying to get their hands on a fresh pair.
-written by Drew Lewis
Krewe Q1 News!
Krewe Embroidery
Our embroidery services have been a subsidiary of the Krewe of Kicks brand for a year now having serviced many customers. Previously only being featured on Instagram, the Krewe Embroidery service has now been brought to our website. If you’re reading this and have previously been to our website, you’ll see that our website has been overhauled. Now, along with other features, you can request a quote directly from the embroidery page on the website along with access to our service via social media or email. Read about how we can help you receive timely custom embroidery products for a reasonable price. We offer an intimate experience to walk you through the embroidery process to bring your creative ideas to life. Start a brand or create a 1 of 1 product today by requesting a quote on the embroidery page or reaching out to us at krewe.embroidery@gmail.com.
-written by Travis Epps
Krewe of Kicks New Sock Colorway!
We have a new sock colorway set to release in late April inspired by the New Orleans Jazz Fest. A forest green sock inspired by French Quarter architecture with four gold embroidered fleur de lis inspired by the gold plated brass instruments that are used in a Jazz band. The sock will also feature a red Krewe of Kicks logo embroidered on the inner part of the sock and our mantra 'The Krewe' also in red inspired by New Orleans' own Dixie Cups for their 1964 hit song “Chapel of Love.” The image above is a mock-up of what's on the way.
-written by Drew Lewis
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