To: Paul Senior who wrote (78775 ) 12/22/2025 3:29:00 AM From: Harshu Vyas Read Replies (1) | Respond to Have to agree. I do find it weird that activists aren't already circling Nike. Imagine it's only a matter of time.The Debrief | The Sneaker of the Year 2025 | BoF In a widening market, this year’s debate has splintered opinions. Unlike typical years with “two to three shoes,” 2025 felt like “it’s five, it’s six, it’s seven, it’s eight,” says Sykes. He frames it as consumers testing “Nike versus the field,” with many deciding, “I’m actually gonna try the field for once ,” which explains why we have seen credible contenders from Vans, Converse, New Balance and more. At the same time, reports of Nike’s demise are overdone. “Nike has always — and, in my opinion, probably will always — be the industry standard. The company is just too big at this point; it makes too much money. Even when it fails, it’s still a notch above its competition ,” says Sykes. The real question now is which Nike silhouettes win attention. A few years ago it was largely Jordan 1s, 3s and Dunks, however now styles like Infinite Archives 17, Awake’s Jordan 5, and Nigel Sylvester’s Jordan 4 are all taking space. Hype is increasingly powered by storytelling that feels personal rather than driven by pure scarcity. Nigel Sylvester’s Jordan 4 showed how “over the top” yet authentic activations made fans attach to Nigel beyond the sneaker. “He’s riding his bike, kissing babies, shaking hands,” says Sykes. It’s “absolutely marketing” but designed to connect on emotion. On sneaker resale marketplace StockX, beneath the headline-grabbing premiums, Asics is moving serious volume with everyday pairs. As Mike notes, “the black and silver Asics Gel-1130 is just a common shoe that you could probably just go to your Foot Locker and buy,” yet he sees “people just buying the shoe up.” Set against hype, the GEL-1130 shows how “regular everyday shoes that look cool” can dominate real-world sales even when they’re absent from sneaker-of-the-year shortlists.
