The business of athletic footwear, aka the sneaker business, was a $22 billion industry in 2013. To say I am I enjoy the business of sneakers would be an incredible understatement. I’m invested in it in every sense of the word because it fascinates me beyond most things in life. This week of Weekly Overdose, where I recap some of the stories regarding the sneaker industry, the often unspoken women’s business of sneakers, Nike and UA making moves, and whether or not signature sneakers still matter, are just a few of the subjects I touch on. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
- Fool – Under Armour Works To Bring In More Female Athletes: I think this is a great move by UA. Women’s business is a huge opportunity for anyone in the business but it’s not something you can jump right into. UA getting more deeply involved in the women’s business through a sport that is far from the mainstream is intriguing.
- Sole Collector – adidas is Suing Under Armour: Apparently the Director of Innovation and Research at UA was formerly at adidas and they think he took some insider knowledge with him to UA’s new Armour39 development. With digital wearables being a huge part of the future, this could really be a bigger deal than people realize.
- SmartBlogs – Zappos and Great Culture: It’s no secret Zappos is one of the best companies to work for. Nothing is more important than culture in the workplace in this day. The internet allows the talented and hardworking people in the world to demand an enjoyable workplace and this story dives a little deeper into life at Zappos.
- Sole Collector – What is the Next Big Silhouette?: Nick Schonberger asked me to be a part of this a few weeks back and I finally had the chance to read it. To me, it’s the adidas Rose 5 that I am most excited about and you can read more thoughts on SC.
Fool – Is Nike Destined for Greatness?: Most people are aware of how successful Nike is but if you really want to look at the business side of Nike and where its headed, this is a great read. Also, if you look at the chart, the debt to equity spike in early 2013 is really interesting.
Fool – Let me know if there are other sneaker business stories you found interesting or share your thoughts on the above articles in the comments below.