In a candid and entrepreneurial memoir, Authentic: A Memoir by the Founder of Vans, Paul Van Doren (who passed away earlier this year) traverses his journey from being a high school dropout to becoming the founder of the renowned sneaker brand. Charting his time as a 16-year-old working at a local rubbery factory and learning how to canvas tennis shoes to opening the first stand-alone …
Launched in late 2018, the ISPA label (and acronym for improvise, scavenge, protect, and adapt) fits within the Nike Design Exploration initiative, a space for the “convergence of athlete data and digital design” to inform new and interesting sneakers and apparel. ISPA also references Nike’s past and acts a bridge between the designs that predate its inception and those forthcoming. The label’s logo—an amalgamation of …
In 2018, PUMA reentered the basketball market with the unveiling of the brand’s first basketball sneaker in 20 years: the PUMA Clyde Court, named after the charismatic former NBA player Walt “Clyde” Frazier. Those sneakers reference a storied relationship between the brand and the beloved sport. Shortly thereafter, they announced a shortlist of high-profile players to ink sponsorship deals and Jay-Z as their creative director. This renewed focus on basketball …
