Footwear News

Skechers U.S.A. and 3G Capital Partners L.P. have the go ahead to move forward on their $9 billion merger deal. The transaction, first disclosed on May 5, has the clearance to proceed to closing now that “all regulatory approvals required to complete” the deal have been received, the parties said on Thursday. The expected closing date is Sept. 12, 2025, subject to the completion of customary closing conditions. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eMan-dQ4

Academy Sports + Outdoors is not slowing down on its store opening strategy. On Thursday, the Katy, Texas-based retailer said that it has opened three new locations in Boardman, Ohio; Beaufort, S.C.; and Virginia Beach, Va., so far this quarter. Eight more stores are set to open in the fall in Rome, Ga.; Cullman, Ala.; Mishawaka, Ind.; Lakeland, Fla.; Columbia, Tenn.; Albany, Ga.; Palestine, Tex.; and Batesville, Miss. In total, the new store openings will create more than 650 new jobs across 10 states. Read more: https://lnkd.in/efZygbEr

As Nike turns over the calendar from August to September, it’ll prepare to release both one of its most anticipated sneakers of the year and another that’s been awaited for more than four times as long. A duo of “Yu-Gi-Oh!” Air Max 95s and Tom Sachs’ Mars Yard 3.0 will lead the charge for another month flush with Nike releases. Also on the way is the second Swoosh sneaker from Lego, what many consider Ja Morant’s best Ja 3 yet and drops from both Kobe Bryant and Deion Sanders’ signature line. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e_GVWecD

Journeys’ parent company Genesco is raising its full-year guidance after reporting sales growth in the second quarter. According to the Nashville-based footwear company, net sales in the second quarter of fiscal 2026 increased 4 percent to $546 million compared to $525 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2025. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eRmYkPpV

Nike is cutting 1% of its corporate workforce. An email from the company’s leadership team informed employees of the realignment beginning next week. U.S. and Canadian employees will work remotely until Sept. 8, when Nike says its conversations about the changes will conclude. A team meeting is scheduled for Sept. 10, and new roles take effect Sept. 21. The move follows CEO Elliott Hill’s June warning during Nike’s Q4 FY25 earnings call. “Change can be difficult. It can also be what sharpens the edge, aligns the team and sets up the win,” the email, signed by Hill and members of the senior leadership team, said. “And the W is ours to take, embracing an athlete mindset that leads with passion, commitment and determination.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/exmg4GVS

Skate sneakers are everywhere again. From Vans’ viral drops to Prada Group and Christian Dior Couture runways, vulcanized kicks are fueling one of fashion’s biggest comebacks. “Skate style has really proliferated with the internet, where it’s not really as insular as it once was,” Jian DeLeon, Nordstrom men’s fashion director, told FN. ⁠ Read more: https://lnkd.in/emrAfkf9

Salomon is set to open its newest retail location in the heart of Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood this week. It marks a milestone in the French brand’s North American expansion. Located at 1630 N Damen Avenue, Salomon Bucktown is the brand’s first Midwest location and second U.S. retail store, following the opening of its SoHo store in New York City last year. Steven Doolan, president of Americas at Salomon, told FN in an exclusive interview that the company chose the Bucktown area for its second U.S. store because it’s a “classic intersection of new and old with hard working roots that are the foundation of the city.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/dUNiJu9g

As Foot Locker prepares for its acquisition by DICK'S Sporting Goods, the retailer released a look at its second quarter earnings. According to the footwear retailer, total sales were down 2.4 percent in the second quarter of fiscal 2025 to $1.85 billion, as compared with sales of $1.90 billion in the second quarter of 2024. Losses widened in the period as well. The company saw a net loss of $38 million in Q2, as compared with net loss of $12 million in the prior-year period. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dbTJhgtq

The DICK'S Sporting Goods and Foot Locker deal is now expected to close on Sept. 8, subject to the satisfaction of remaining customary closing conditions, Dick’s said. And with the closure of the sale looming, some analysts are weary about the new company’s future. Williams Trading LLC analyst Sam Poser is one of those voices, stating in a note last week he fears Dick’s takeover of Foot Locker will distract the sporting goods retailer from the progress it has made in recent quarters. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eArTRHcP

adidas transforms the Campus 00s into boots and slippers that look a lot like Uggs. The style has been given two new builds with a strong resemblance to two of Ugg‘s top models. With monochrome suede uppers and a new platform sole maintaining color uniformity, the sneaker has been re-rendered as both a mid-top and a slip-on. The former alteration looks a lot like Ugg‘s lower-cut Classic Mini boot, while the latter suggests the brand’s Tasman slippers. What do you think? See more: https://lnkd.in/emdz8tc5