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Now 'League of Legends' star Faker is a part-owner of his esports team
Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok has been an esports superstar and key member of the T1 League of Legends team since 2013, and a new three-year contract with the squad adds "part owner" to his title. As first reported by ESPN, while the talented mid laner has said he received "blank check" offers from teams outside of South Korea, the 23-year-old will remain with the only pro team he's ever known. The three year deal is the longest contract allowed under League maker Riot's rules, and according to T1, "Faker will assume a leadership role within the organization after his playing career and will help facilitate global operations." CEO Joe Marsh said in the accompanying statement that "Since T1's inception, Faker has been the cornerstone of our team's success and his undying passion for this organization will continue to drive us forward now that he is a part owner of T1 Entertainment & Sports. Even after Faker's retirement – whenever that may be – he will begin the next chapter of his legacy in a leadership role with T1, helping to mold the next generation of elite esports athletes."
Nike's new self-lacing basketball shoes go on sale Sunday for $400
Last year Nike applied self-tightening / self-lacing tech to a basketball shoe for the first time with its Adapt BB. Now the Adapt BB 2.0 is ready to go on sale this Sunday as the NBA celebrates All-Star Weekend. The shoes have already been worn in-game by Memphis Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant (below) and now you can get your own pair -- if you can stomach the $400 price tag. That's even more than the $350 price of last year's shoes, although they do come with some improvements and is still less than the $720 price of the first HyperAdapt.
Online sneaker drop cancelled thanks to bots
Nike SB -- the company's skateboarding division -- teamed up with Strangelove Skateboards to produce a pair of limited edition Valentine's Day Dunks. The pink and red color scheme was an instant hit with sneakerheads, and Strangelove planned to release the shoes on its website over the weekend. However, bots -- which are programmed to purchase sneakers faster than any human could -- broke into the online store and wreaked havoc. As a result, Strangelove was forced to cancel the online release outright, and advised customers to hunt down a pair of the sneakers at their nearest brick-and-mortar dealer. At this point, it seems like bots have gone from a shady line-cutting tactic to a full-on headache for retailers.
Microsoft made a Nike Air Max 90 Xbox but you can't buy it
The Super Bowl is right around the corner, so here come all the brand collabs. To celebrate Sunday's showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, Xbox, EA Sports and Nike have joined forces to create a limited-edition custom Xbox One console. Inspired by the special edition Nike x Madden NFL 20 Air Max 90 sneakers unveiled yesterday, the all-white console features red and blue details representing the EA Sports logo and NFL Shield, as well as the iconic Nike swoosh.
Nike will sponsor Korea’s best ‘League of Legends’ team
With esports continuing to grow in popularity, Nike has sponsored its first esports team -- Korean League of Legends team SKT T1. SKT is the team of Faker, the biggest name in esports, and Nike will be producing team uniforms for him and his teammates as well as footwear.
Nike will no longer sell its shoes and apparel on Amazon
Nike will stop selling its sneakers and clothing on Amazon, ending a pilot program that started in 2017, the company said. The move comes as part of Nike's overhaul of its marketing and retail strategy and the hiring of former eBay executive John Donahoe as its next CEO. "As part of Nike's focus on elevating consumer experiences through more direct, personal relationships, we have made the decision to complete our current pilot with Amazon Retail," Nike said in a statement to Bloomberg.
How to buy sneakers for the hypebeast in your life
It's hard enough to find gifts for your loved ones during the holidays, but hypebeasts in particular are a picky bunch. They only want the most hyped products and the rarest sneakers, which can be a complicated world to navigate as a shopper if you're not familiar with it. But we're here to help. Thankfully, there are many ways to find something hypebeasts might like online -- even if you have to spend more money and time than you had hoped for. Here's how you can buy sneakers, apparel and even fanny packs (they call them waist bags) for the hypebeasts in your life.
Nike's FlyEase technology hits the field with Seahawks LB Shaquem Griffin
After developing FlyEase shoes based on Lebron and Jordan models, Nike has adapted its technology for zip-up basketball sneakers to a whole new sport: football. These unique cleats are made for a (so far) one-of-a-kind athlete -- Seattle Seahawks linebacker Shaquem Griffin. Griffin is in his second season as an NFL player, but unlike many others on the field during Monday Night Football, he has one hand. His left hand did not fully develop due to amniotic band syndrome and was amputated at age four. Similar to the FlyEase models we've seen before, the Shaquem Griffin FlyEase football cleat manages to create a heel entry that's easier to put on for someone with one hand, while maintaining the structure and stability needed to make the powerful moves of a pro football player. That way Griffin can focus on his game, and not his shoes, which are making their prime-time debut tonight against the 49ers.
Nike will drop exclusive, limited-edition sneakers inside ‘NBA 2K20’
Those of you who are into NBA 2K know that, for years, you've been able to buy sneakers from different brands for your virtual player in the game. But now, thanks to a new partnership between Nike and software publisher 2K Sports, you'll have a chance to get real sneakers for yourself as you're playing NBA 2K20. And they won't just be any kind of shoes -- they're going to be limited edition and exclusive to the popular basketball title. Nike says it will drop 10 "Gamer Exclusives" through NBA 2K20, starting on October 29th, when players will have the opportunity to purchase them by completing in-game challenges.
Nike puts an accessibility twist on its iconic Air Jordan 1
The Air Jordan 1, which NBA legend Michael Jordan debuted in 1985, continues to be one of Nike's most popular sneakers to this day. Throughout the years, the company has launched hundreds of different iterations of its iconic model, and now it's putting another twist on it that has the potential to help athletes and other people with disabilities. The AJI High FlyEase features Nike's FlyEase technology, one that was introduced in 2015 and is designed to make it easy for anyone to get their sneakers on and off quickly and easily.
Nike opens NBA season with YouTube-themed Kevin Durant sneakers
As the 2019-2020 NBA season gets ready to tip off on October 22nd, Nike has unveiled new colors of its signature basketball sneakers for opening week. One of those is the KD12 "YouTube," the latest edition of Kevin Durant's performance shoe that's themed after Google's video service. And while Durant won't make his debut for the Brooklyn Nets until sometime next year, due to a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered last season, Nike wanted to create a design to show his love for YouTube as a way to connect with fans. Durant joined YouTube in 2017, and has since used his channel to post videos about him traveling and meeting people around the world.
Nike’s Adapt Huarache are self-lacing sneakers you’ll actually want to wear
This probably isn't shocking to anyone who knows me, but I love sneakers perhaps too much for my own good. So when Nike introduced the Adapt BB with power laces earlier this year, I was pretty intrigued: It brought two of my favorite worlds together, sneakers and technology. But for me, the problem with the Adapt BBs is that they're designed to be a performance basketball shoe, meaning they're bulky and not something I could wear every day. Now Nike has created the Adapt Huarache, a reimagined version of a classic lifestyle sneaker from 1991, which also features its FitAdapt self-lacing technology.
Take a look at Nike's first esports jerseys
At last, Nike has revealed its first professional jerseys for the LPL (League of Legends Pro League) in China. The shirts were unveiled on the last day of the LPL Summer Gauntlet, a post-season competition that decides which team will take China's third and final spot at the World Championship next month. FunPlus Phoenix (FPX), Royal Never Give Up (RNG) and reigning champion Invictus Gaming (IG) will wear their uniforms first while competing for the world title in Paris. All 16 LPL teams will then wear their jerseys from the start of the Spring Split next year.
Nike's self-lacing Huarache can be controlled with Apple Watch and Siri
The late '80s and early '90s are fondly remembered by Nike fans. The Air Max 1 and Air Max 90 redefined sneaker designs with their "visible air" heel units. The Air Huarache crossed over from runners to fashion-conscious city-dwellers thanks to its unconventional exoskeleton. While the popularity of the Huarache has ebbed and flowed since its 1991 launch, the model is currently in heavy rotation among sneakerheads, making it an ideal choice for Nike's self-lacing Adapt technology.
Nike rolls out a subscription service for kids’ sneakers
Whether for streaming, productivity software, health-tracking apps, clothing or deliveries, companies are increasingly adopting a subscription model to keep customers hooked and bring in revenue. The latest to join the fray is Nike, which on Monday unleashed a subscription service for kids' sneakers called Nike Adventure Club.
Nike's app powers Foot Locker's new NYC store
Over the past few years, Nike has heavily invested in making its stores more tech-oriented. A big part of that strategy is integrating its Nike app with the company's physical spaces and trying to make it easy for shoppers to do things like instantly pay for product and scan items to check if they're in stock. You can do all of that in the application, at the Nike store, without having to interact much with store associates. Nike says its customers love these type of features so much that it is now bringing them to Foot Locker, one of its biggest retail partners. The Foot Locker Washington Heights Community Power Store, located in uptown New York City, marks the first time Nike's shopping tech will power (part of) a store that isn't one of its own.
Twitch will stream Team USA basketball games
USA Basketball has had a hard time getting players to participate in the upcoming FIBA World Cup, but the organization has managed to lock down one position: its streaming partner. Today, Twitch announced that it will be the exclusive home for live streaming content from USA Basketball's men's and women's teams. The content will be available to watch live at twitch.tv/nba, with full on-demand videos available to fans shortly after the end of each broadcast.
Nike's Joyride shoes use tiny beads to make your runs more comfortable
Nike has developed a new shoe technology for both casual and every-day runners. Today, the sportswear giant is taking the wraps off of Joyride, a responsive cushioning system designed to adapt to individual foot strikes and offer high levels of impact absorption as your feet hit whatever surface you're running on. Nike says the idea with Joyride is to "make running easy" and give you more personalized comfort, which is made possible by thousands of tiny, energy-packed beads that form the shoe's midsole. You can get a great look at them in the Joyride Run Flyknit pictured above, the first Nike sneakers to feature the visible and colorful beads.
Sneaker marketplace GOAT has an app just for China
Scoring a pair of limited-edition Vans or Air Jordans just got easier for Chinese consumers. Online sneaker marketplace GOAT announced their official launch in China today with a new localized app just for Chinese consumers, along with a WeChat version tailored for the popular messaging app. In the past, Chinese consumers relied on the US app to buy and sell sneakers. The nation has already grown to become GOAT's second-largest market, just behind the US.
The fitness gadgets and apps you should be using at school
In between cramming for never-ending tests, going out with your classmates and campaigning for the student union, you still need to keep fit. The good news is, you don't have to do that last bit all by yourself. Plenty of smartwatches can stand in for your mom, reminding you to go take a walk after you've sat in front of your computer for too long. There's also gear that you can take with you on your runs to make the grueling exercise more tolerable. In curating this list, we thought not only about what could make your workouts more fun and productive, but also devices and services that help you stay on top of your fitness regimen. These include apps that help manage your diet or exercise plans, so you don't have to splurge on a whole new gadget. Some options are even free. Here's what we recommend.
