Krewe Quarterly Newsletter for Q3
Top Quarterly Footwear News
James Whitner Charges Dropped
Last November 2023, a lawsuit was filed against James Whitner’s company, The Whitaker Group, requiring them to forfeit $1.2 million in cash to the federal government as part of a money laundering investigation. James Whitner was accused of selling millions of dollars' worth of shoes and apparel to a Chinese national, who then resold those products in China. Large sums of illegal money were collected and sent to Whitner. Whitner vehemently denied these allegations from the outset, calling them “unfounded, unrelated to our business or this community, and unjustified.”
On September 23rd, The Whitaker Group announced they were cleared of all charges with the following statement: “Following a thorough investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina (USAO) into James Whitner and The Whitaker Group, the office has declined prosecution based upon, among other things, the sufficiency of admissible evidence to support prosecution. This outcome reaffirms our stance all along on the integrity of our business, the transparency of our operations, and the regulatory compliance of all our tools, platforms, and processes that allow us to serve both the community and consumers effectively.”
-written by Drew Lewis
Nike Hires Elliott Hill as New CEO
Nike needed change. That change has started at the most important position in the company, at the top. With stock prices suffering, competition rising, and the lure and hype of the brand becoming more and more quiet, the only right move was to hire Elliott Hill to replace John Donahoe as the new CEO of the company.
A long time Nike employee starting as an apparel sales representative intern in 1988, all Hill has known in his working career is Nike all the way until his temporary retirement in 2020. For that reason, Nike is trusting Hill to bring back the innovation and sales that have elevated the brand to sitting at the top for decades. What we have to understand is that his influence will take some time, and what we see in the near future will still be a by-product of Donahoe’s term as CEO. Nonetheless, this is a refreshing change for everyone at Nike and for consumers who adore Nike products and specifically footwear.
While Hill gets his footing as president and chief, 2025 will bring a lot of hype and classic sneakers to the forefront of the brand, a decision committed to under Donahoe’s reign. Will next year’s run of hype footwear reinvigorate the brand? It’s not certain at this moment considering the state of the economy and the state of the sneaker industry and what’s trending. However, we can enjoy the revival of classic Jordan Brand retros and hype collaborations while we wait to see how Elliott Hill will shift the brand.
-written by Travis Epps
Local Footwear News
The Krewe “Saints Inspired” Crew Socks
I know. No one wants to talk about the Saints at the moment. However, as loyal fans, you can still represent the team by purchasing The Krewe ‘Black/Gold’ crew socks. Still available in limited supply, these comfortable crew socks are perfect wear to the Superdome or to Wrong Iron. If black and gold aren’t your colors, then hit us up about our secret white and gold socks that are yet to be released. Either way, there’s still a lot of season left and still a lot of games to throw on your jersey and socks for. Even if the Saints take a loss, at least your socks are comfortable and fresh.
-written by Travis Epps
Footwear Brand News
Nike
Tom Sachs Returning to Nike
Tom Sachs originally joined Nike in 2012 when they released the Mars Yard shoe. The New York artist has been longtime friends with former Nike CEO Mark Parker. In 2023, Tom Sachs was accused by several former employees of creating a “destabilizing” and “scary” workplace culture. His partnership with Nike, labeled NikeCraft, was put on hold. Nike recently reported that he has “demonstrated and recommitted to fostering a culture of respect and inclusivity” after taking time to reflect and hiring an outside party to help with HR policies. Nike announced the continuation of their partnership with Tom, with the release of the NikeCraft Mars Yard 3.0 expected in 2025.
-written by Drew Lewis
New Women’s Nike Air Max
The Y2K sneaker aesthetic is still alive and well into the mid century, and Nike is still working to maintain their top spot by riding this wave of mesh runners. Successfully, they have created an innovative silhouette for women that may be received well once released. The Nike Air Max Muse has been recently revealed first by Olympian Jordan Chile and then jeweler and stylist Veneda Carter, both of whom wore the model featuring black mesh with metallic silver paneling and a black midsole from the Air Max Portal. While a release date hasn’t been confirmed, we can look forward to more images and news surrounding this new model and appreciate the Nike team stepping up and innovating something else women can enjoy during this Y2K footwear era.
-written by Travis Epps
Women’s Collegiate Basketball Star Juju Watkins Signs with Nike
USC basketball star Juju Watkins has signed a lucrative multi-year extension with Nike. She originally signed with Nike back in 2022 as a high school senior. This contract gives her one of the biggest endorsement deals in women’s basketball, well-deserved as she became the highest-scoring women’s basketball freshman of all time last year while leading her Trojans to the Elite Eight.
-written by Drew Lewis
Jordan Brand
Jordan Brand Releases and Rumors Announced for 2025
Nike and Jordan Brand are pulling out all their heavy hitting Air Jordan’s to hopefully hit home runs in 2025. Because the footwear industry has become competitive with the rise of other brands such as New Balance, HOKA, On-runners, etc., Nike has seen their stock price decrease and their loyal customers broaden their consumption of brands. Now that Nike has to look over their shoulder in this race to be the most talked about and purchased brand on the market, they are desperate to reinvigorate the hype by releasing some of the most highly coveted retro Jordan’s and collaborations. Here is the list of what’s rumored or confirmed to release:
Jordan 1 High Black Toe Reimagined
Jordan 1 High Bred
Jordan 1 High Shattered Backboard
Jordan 3 Black Cat
Jordan 4 Black Cat
Jordan 5 Metallic Black Reimagined
Jordan 5 Fire Red with Black Tongue
Jordan 8 Aqua
Jordan 4 x Undefeated
Jordan 1 High x Union LA
Jordan 1 High x Off-White
Jordan 1 High x Swarovski
Jordan 4 x Nike SB
-written by Travis Epps
Adidas
adidas New Model - adiZero Aruku
Adidas is releasing a new sneaker that resembles Hoka's design, featuring an extra-thick midsole. This marks Adidas's first venture into creating a running-style shoe as an everyday lifestyle option. The beefy midsole utilizes their new Swirlfoam technology, which infuses the foam with nitrogen, similar to the running compounds used by Brooks and Puma. This sneaker is a cool fusion of comfort and style, expanding Adidas's brand reach into new avenues of the sneaker industry.
-written by Drew Lewis
New Balance
Loro Piana x New Balance 990v6 Retails for $1,500
In recent years, we’ve seen Dior and Louis Vuitton collaborate with Jordan Brand and Nike, respectively, to bring luxury to sneakers. Now, Loro Piana, a brand that prides itself in Italian luxury products, collaborated with New Balance on the popular 990v6 model. With the addition of the brand’s Pecora Nera wool on the upper and the Loro Piana branding, the italian fashion house has turned a $220 sneaker into a $1,500 sneaker. Another expensive transformation.
-written by Travis Epps
Cooper Flagg, Potential NBA #1 Pick, Signs with New Balance
Cooper Flagg, the number one prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft, is getting ready to play his freshman season at Duke. In the new age of amateur athletics, dubbed the NIL era, college athletes—and even some high school athletes—are now compensated for their talent. New Balance has signed one of the most highly anticipated basketball prospects in recent years before he even played a minute of college ball. Cooper, who hails from Maine, cited New Balance’s Maine roots and its status as a family company as influences for signing with them. This is a significant move for New Balance as they continue to grow their brand in the basketball landscape.
-written by Drew Lewis
ASICS
Ronnie Fieg Reveals Kith x ASICS GEL-Kayano 12.1
Kith has introduced a new colorway for the ASICS GEL-Kayano 12.1, featuring a light aqua overlay on a white base. The raffle was open on KITH from October 18 to 20. This is a very clean colorway that may have to stay in the closet until summer, but it’s sure to turn heads once it’s on feet.
-written by Drew Lewis
Salomon
atmos x Salomon XT-6
Salomon has been quietly continuing to keep its niche customer base happy with good collaborations and colorways on their most popular models. One of their most interesting releases that occurred late in Q3 was a collaboration on the XT-6 with Tokyo based retailer, atmos. The sleek model featured gray and silver hues with the atmos signature safari-like black dot pattern all seen on top of the GORE-TEX upper material of the sneaker. A slept on and not talked about collaboration that may be one of Salomon’s better releases of the year, depending on who you ask.
-written by Travis Epps
Saucony
Jae Tips Reveals New Sneakers in Paris
Jae Tips unveiled another Saucony model during Paris Fashion Week: the Saucony Matrix, a runner from the early 1990s to 2000s era. This model showcases Jae Tips' signature vibrant colors. It's an exciting development for Saucony as they delve into their archive of models to strengthen their presence in the sneaker community. The Saucony Matrix is anticipated to be released in late 2024 or early 2025.
-written by Drew Lewis
PUMA
Salehe Bembury Working on PUMA Basketball Shoe
Salehe is one of, if not the best, sneaker designers in the game right now. He is now taking his talents to PUMA to work on their next basketball shoe. Many brands have been investing heavily in the basketball landscape, which is more competitive than ever before. With a roster that includes established and up-and-coming stars like LaMelo Ball, Scoot Henderson, Flau’Jae Johnson, and Breanna Stewart, PUMA has the potential to compete for the top spot in the basketball sneaker market.
-written by Drew Lewis
Reebok
Reebok Collabs with Packer on the Premier Road Modern
Reebok is now getting in on the Y2K dad shoe aesthetic by revitalizing the Premier Road Modern silhouette from the 2000s. What looks to have been a successful collaboration and release with Packer at the beginning of this quarter, Reebok may have something brewing with this model. In what is a crowded trend of footwear, the Premier Road Modern has stood out across sneaker media platforms as a talking point for people who are surprised by how good the sneaker collaboration with Packer has looked. Now, the question is can Reebok build off this initial success and force their way into the market?
-written by Travis Epps
Best Footwear Releases of Q2
Jae Tips x Saucony ProGrid Omni 9 ‘To Do List’
Jae Tips x Saucony released their “To Do List,” which includes two colorways of the ProGrid Omni 9, retailing for $180. One colorway is Tan, while the other is Berry, both featuring vibrant pink, blue, and green accents. Jae Tips has been on a successful run with Saucony, and it doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. I’m excited to see what they have in store for us next!
-written by Drew Lewis
Kith x ASICS x Marvel
Kith, ASICS, and Marvel do it again to release one of the more exciting collaborations of the year. Last year, the collaboration featuring characters from the X-Men franchise on several GEL-Lyte III models came with a surprise upon opening the sneaker packaging in which consumers did not know which character they were getting and if they were getting a rare graded X-Men card from Kith. This time around, Ronnie Fieg decided to target several recently popular ASICS models and feature different Marvel villains. Unlike the first ASICS collaboration, this release came with no character reveal as people who were able to get a pair got to choose their character. However, few people were fortunate enough to find graded magazines with their pair.
-written by Travis Epps
A-Ma-Maniere x Jordan Retro 3 & 4 ‘While You Were Sleeping’
A-Ma-Maniere has successfully continued its partnership with Jordan Brand and Nike with the roll out of a campaign the collaborator is calling ‘While You Were Sleeping.’ So far, we’ve seen the release of the Jordan Retro 3 and Jordan Retro 4, both of which have been received positively by the masses. Depending on which colorway and silhouette you prefer, you couldn’t go wrong picking up a pair. However, you may be keeping your wallet closed in anticipation of what’s remaining to be released from A-Ma-Maniere’s current story.
-written by Travis Epps
New Balance 1906L
New Balance has reimagined their classic 1906 as a loafer. This cutting-edge design is sure to stand out. Originally debuting at Paris Fall/Winter Fashion Week, it was released on September 19, 2024. The trend of mixing athletic sneakers with luxury is gaining momentum in 2024, and it’s not disappointing. More releases are expected from this model, including a collaboration with Junya Watanabe Man later this month.
-written by Drew Lewis
New Balance 991v2 City Pack
New Balance has released five exclusive colorways of the NB 991v2 as part of a city pack. This Made in UK model celebrated its one-year anniversary in September, and this release commemorates its success, retailing for $250. The regional exclusive releases debuted in Green (Europe), Pink (Japan), Blue (USA), Red (China), and Yellow (Asia-Pacific). Reportedly limited to around 500 pairs each, this was a challenging sneaker to acquire at retail.
-written by Drew Lewis
Top Footwear Releases Coming in Q3
Corteiz x Nike Air Max 95
You may have recently seen sneaker media pick up Corteiz’s latest marketing move to light up the UK skies as they announced part 2 of their collaborating partnership with Nike. This is confirmation that we will in fact be seeing a highly anticipated fourth Nike Air Max 95 from the UK streetwear brand. Keep your eyes and ears open for one of the most hyped releases of the year.
-written by Travis Epps
Jordan Retro 3 Black Cement
One of the all-time classic Jordans, the Black Cement 3, is set to return on November 23, 2024. Most recently released in 2018, the upcoming version is expected to feature an improved shape closer to the original release from '88. This is slated to be a general release, so you should be able to get your hands on a pair if you want them. However, don’t sleep on it—this classic shoe will still be highly sought after and will retail for $220.
-written by Drew Lewis
Wu-Tang x Nike Dunk High
Even though the Wu-Tang Nike Dunk was already released as a shock drop on the SNKRS app in September, the official release of the sneaker is November 9th for the retail price of $150. The history and lore behind this former rare grail is bringing a ton of hype to this current version of the sneaker, exactly what Nike wants and intended. We’ll see if the hype translates to the difficulty to acquire the sneaker. If you plan on purchasing, please educate yourself on the rich history about what makes this a significant sneaker release and why many sneaker historians are confused as to why this sneaker is returning.
-written by Travis Epps
A-Ma-Maniere x Nike Air Max 95 ‘While You Were Sleeping’
Another coveted Air Max 95 will be releasing next quarter courtesy of the continuation of A-Ma-Maniere’s ‘While You Were Sleeping’ campaign. This sneaker may be a sneaker of the year contender as it features dark hues on what looks to be leather panels. A quality looking sneaker that Air Max 95 stans and sneaker collects alike will be online trying to get their pair into cart and checked out. Try your luck on October 25th, on A-Ma-Maniere’s website and other affiliate retailers.
-written by Travis Epps
Nigo x Nike Air Force 3
Nike x Nigo began their partnership earlier this quarter with the release of his first collection with Nike, which debuted in Tokyo and featured a NYC pop-up. Nigo unveiled a colorful collection that included a pair of Air Force 3s, featuring vibrant primary colors and matching apparel. This is just the beginning; I’m sure Nigo has much more in store for sneaker enthusiasts. His designs are sure to make a statement.
-written by Drew Lewis
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