The Group Chat: Squeak squeak

And happy WNBA playoffs tip-off. As the postseason action begins, the league’s biggest stars will be in the spotlight, both for their on-court game and their tunnel 'fits. A major part of those looks? Their kicks.

• Basketball sneakers aren’t just sports gear — they’re a streetwear staple, the epitome of the exchange between fashion and sports, and vital to players hoping to leave their mark on the game.

• So for today’s edition, we chatted with Sarah Mensah, president of the OG sneakers-as-fashion brand, Air Jordan, about sneakerhead culture and its impact on the W. Let’s lace ’em up.

Sports and style seamlessly come together in sneaker culture, where on-court performance meets creativity and identity. Athletes, pop culture figures, and fans clamor for the trendiest shoes — or, in some cases, to collaborate with a designer to create a line of their own.

• In the 40 years since Nike and Michael Jordan launched the iconic Air Jordan brand, basketball sneakers have become a dominant subculture, sometimes generating as much buzz as the game itself. Sneakerheads are as passionate as they are stylish.

And sneaks are big business — a $5.4B market in 2023 — but even more impactful in the culture. These shoes mean something: Athletes and fans use them to communicate their personal style, highlight their own game or moments in the sport’s history, honor causes and one another, and keep up with the zeitgeist. When a player gets their own shoe, it means they’ve made it as an athlete and a cultural figure.

• An iconic shoe can even be so deeply associated with the player that inspired it, their name becomes shorthand for the style — think the Nike Kobes or Sabrinas. Mensah says, “Sneakers are a large part of a hooper’s game. …It’s a deeply personal and important decision for many players and fans.”

• She even remembers the first shoe she fell in love with: “The Air Jordan 1’s, because they were the first pair of sneakers that I bought for myself, with my own money, while in college. I was so proud of those sneakers that I wore them every day!”

Sneakerhead culture is also crucial to the W’s rising profile. Hoopers like Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson and the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark getting their own shoes adds legitimacy to the women’s game and gives people a new way to wear their fandom on their sleeve feet.

• The first-ever women’s basketball signature shoe? Nike’s collab with Houston Comets legend Sheryl Swoopes in the ’90s, and the brand has carried on that legacy. “Partnering with women athletes…has been a vital part of our business strategy since the beginning,” Mensah said.

• “We prioritize our women’s market not only by creating women-only silhouettes…but through the relationships we cultivate with those…advocating for increased opportunities for women.” She specifically shouted out the brand’s relationships with the GOAT, Maya Moore, and current MVP candidate, Minnesota Lynx Napheesa Collier.

Mensah also highlighted Collier as a W athlete crushing it in sneaker style right now. “Napheesa has really set the bar this year, both in terms of play, and her on- and off-court looks. As she’s turning in an MVP–caliber season, she’s been wearing the Jordan Heir Series, in addition to also being the first player to wear the Air Jordan 40 in a game.”

• Mensah also says the brand prioritizes working with women designers and woman-forward brands like Teyana Taylor, Playa Society, and Téla D’Amore. A slay from start to finish.

Investing in the women’s game means investing in women fans, and Mensah says serving the demographic is top of mind for her. When asked if Air Jordan markets to women differently, or if we’re all just sneakerheads at heart, she said, “We recognize sneakerheads as a global community, while also understanding that women athletes and fans have different needs.”

• [We work] with some of the top women designers and brands that can authentically cater to the interest and demands of our female consumers, while also staying true to the spirit of the brand. We believe that all athletes can benefit from women’s insights.” Preach.