That's the thing about the old days...

There's been a lot said about Nike in the past days/weeks/months, and I don't need to weigh in on the CEO (not good), the strategy (also bad), and the financial implications for the future of the brand (I bought stock). This isn't about that.

It was recently reported that Nike was planning to re-release the "Playstation" Air Force 1 in some way in 2025, along with the Shattered Backboard Jordan 1's, and the Undefeated Jordan 4's, having already "opened the vault" for the linen AF1s, Mariah 180s, and other classics. Then it was reported that this was a way to sniff out leaks from within. Who knows?

Today Supreme announced Tyler the Creator as their featured face of the season, seemingly in acknowledgment of his Odd Future crew sparking the billion dollar run they've had over the past 11 years. Future signaling or fan service? Does anyone really care?

I've built a bit of a reputation for paying way too close of attention to stuff nobody really bothers to think about. For the past few months, I've seen the same sentiment bubbling in so many different forms:

"Is everything bad right now?"

That's a simplistic drilling down of a complex emotion, but it's been on my mind lately; why does everything feel dull? And I'm talking EVERY marker of our culture: sneakers, clothing, rap, art, all of it. Musicians are chasing streams and brand deals instead of creative progression. Those who do are punished with twitter memes and low streams.

Clothing has slowly distilled down into 90's Polo collections with the Chad filter on. The world of reckless, transgressive, devil-may-care culture has shifted into art-directed, cappuccino-sipping, forrest-green nostalgia for a memory they never lived.

There hasn't been a truly paradigm-shifting sneaker in years. Plenty has been said about ON and HOKA and all of the "challenger brands" nipping at Nike's heels, but let's be real for a second - no one is putting on some CloudMonsters to get a fit off.

So what's a brand to do to regain the fire? Play the hits! Something everybody loves and remembers and unlocks that quick dopamine hit. Sales are good, KPIs are met, the day is saved. It's a system that works. 

But ultimately, the strategy of regaining mindshare and be the center of the cultural conversation by bringing back the icons, is a losing battle, imo. And it all rests on one core truth:

You can't go back.

It's the same problem I have with film remakes and throwback jerseys; recreating the past comes at the expense of creating a future. It's a short term play. A kicked can.

We celebrate the classics because they are the classics - unique and era-defining moments that live in our heads as special memories and fence posts in our collective cultural journey. Attempting to rehash that magic - whether as an attempt to build hype or a craven revenue play - turns the path into a loop. And while there is safety in knowing what's ahead, a loop is worse than a dead end. At least a dead end forces you to change your direction.

We're effectively in a NOSTALGIA LOOP. Craving the safety and stability of the painless past at the expense of building a future.

Cinema is experiencing this same crisis event now. Deadpool was fun, but a movie where nothing effectively HAPPENS. It was really cool to see the guy next to me pump his fist when a character came on screen. That's about it and Disney is seeing the effects. Each movie or TV show gets worse and worse ratings - alienating a core fanbase and giving a general audience less reason to return. How do they solve this problem? Give Robert Downey Jr. $80M and a private jet.

Cord Jefferson used his Oscar speech to question how many new, challenging, original voices were never heard because a studio decided to spend $100M on an IP-based remake. I think that same question can be applied to sneakers.

What is the next Off-White AF1 that we'll never get because Nike decided to reanimate a corpse?