Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

Why The Kicks You Wear Is Joining The Business of Fashion

Correspondent Mike Sykes is bringing his newsletter to BoF to cover the red-hot intersection between sports and fashion, from who’s up and who’s down in the sneaker world to the latest tunnel walk trends and billion-dollar sponsorship deals.

Rafael Nadal's shoes with the toes pointed into the clay court underneath his shadow as he gets ready to serve at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters in 2013. — Rafael Nadal serving in a second round match at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters in 2013. (Clive Brunskill)

Mike Sykes

31 July 2025

BoF PROFESSIONAL

For so long, fashion kept the sports world at arm’s length — and vice versa — despite the obvious connections the two industries have always shared. I wanted to see more coverage of those connections and how deep they run, so I stepped up and built the world I wanted to see.

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How WNBA Players Are Using Merch to Underscore Their Value

The viral ‘Pay Us’ tees worn by players such as Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier have become an effective tool in a broader effort to show the league what its stars are worth.

Sneaker Resale Isn’t the Business It Used To Be

Premiums are down across the board and the top brands in footwear are just getting back to being interesting again. Here's how resellers are navigating these new, murky waters.

Adidas and Puma Bet on Running Shoes as Tariffs Loom

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About the author

Mike Sykes

Mike Sykes is the Sports and Fashion Correspondent at the Business of Fashion. He is based in Washington, D.C. and is laser-focused on covering the sportswear world where it intersects with fashion, tech and more.

In This Article

Topics

Sports

Virgil Abloh Archive Begins a New Era with Nike

Nike’s first official shoe release with the Virgil Abloh Archive begins its launch cycle this week.

Why Adidas Is Suing a Sneaker Leaker

The activewear giant’s legal action against the popular sneaker news site Sole Retriever exposes hidden fault lines in the industry's relationship with the media that covers it.

Adidas’ Power Play Against Leakers

Adidas filed one of the strangest lawsuits that you’ll see in sneakers. It could have implications for how consumers get their information moving forward.

Fashion Needs to Get Active in Women’s Sports

Women’s sports are booming and fashion is missing out, according to new analysis from Bank of America.

Why H&M’s Sustainability Report Is So Unusual

The Swedish fast-fashion retailer is one of a shrinking number of companies that’s still drawing attention to its emissions goals. Plus, a Shanghai Fashion Week preview.

The Industry That Eats Its Young

Small fashion labels have always been shortchanged by their wholesale partners. A wave of high-profile bankruptcies has turned a structural injustice into an existential crisis. There is a better way to do business, writes Imran Amed.

The Zara-Fication of John Galliano

Fashion’s enfant terrible is trading exclusivity for the mass market. Is it the ultimate fashion coup, or the final surrender of prestige?

The Impact of War on Fashion’s Supply Chain

Textile hubs are already feeling the cascading risks of the conflict in Iran as Washington ramps up forced labour probes to revive tariffs, while decarbonisation in fashion’s factories might finally have a standard to go off of.

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Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

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