Archive - The Sneaker Newsletter

Every Margin This Fall Has An Asterisk

What I'm watching before the Fall/Winter State of Sneakers

Oct 26 • Nick Engvall

The Shoe That Laced Itself Was Never A Gimmick

Nike's boldest bets looked silly right up until they built the company.

Oct 22 • Nick Engvall

What Should I Write About Next?

A few quick questions about what comes next, for the newsletter and my next book

Oct 14 • Nick Engvall

Mbappé Scored, Then Limped Off In A Boot Nobody Can Buy

Two weeks into the On deal, the injury became the story, and what he did next told the real one

Oct 13 • Nick Engvall

The Most Important Story On Nike's Calendar

Thirty years after Space Jam, the Air Jordan 11 is about to test whether Nike's turnaround is real

Oct 11 • Nick Engvall

September 2026

Community Is Not A Line Item

For years the most useful place in sneakers was a forum, and then we handed it to the feed

Sep 29 • Nick Engvall

The Person Who Pulls The Rope

A conversation with footwear industry veteran, Rick Maderis.

Sep 27 • Nick Engvall

Brands Don't Put Their Best Shoe Where The Money Is

They put it where the influence is, and this summer that meant a baseball team in Tokyo.

Sep 6 • Nick Engvall

I Don’t Remember Who Sold Me My Favorite Sneakers

How the size 13 I paid for with umpire money connects to what Blacc Sam and Foot Locker just opened in Crenshaw.

Sep 4 • Nick Engvall

I Asked For This One

The FP Movement ASICS collab because I wanted to make a point about who collaborations are actually for.

Sep 3 • Nick Engvall

A Can Of Tuna Costs $1.19 Now (Yes, This Is About Sneakers)

Dick's just took the worst stock day in its history, and the Foot Locker story starts in the grocery aisle.

Sep 1 • Nick Engvall

August 2026

The Air Jordan 41 Isn't Finished

Leo Chang, Donald Kelsey, and Jason Mayden on the research behind it, and what it cost to build it this way

Aug 27 • Nick Engvall

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