Nike Ends the Tom Sachs Partnership & Here’s What Went Down!

We hate to be the ones to bring in the bad news peeps, but it is what it is. So, you know how the Nike Tom Sachs partnership was a pivotal part of the hype at some point in the industry. Sadly, that isn’t the case anymore with the sneaker industry adding Sachs’ name to the naughty list. Not that it’s not for a good reason, but now the backlash is going to another level. It seems like Nike ended the Tom Sachs partnership. But is that breakup definitive? Read on to find out the answer, along with more news about the collab!

A Little Tom Sachs Controversy Recap

The designer certainly caused ripples in the sneaker industry when his sneaker collab with Nike came out in 2012. This partnership started out thanks to Sachs’ and Mark Parker’s (Nike’s then-CEO) friendship. Anyway, the two first installations, Nike Mars Yard 1 and 2, are worth thousands of dollars on the resale market! Now, although the other sneakers were okay, they weren’t as successful as the OG drops.

Unfortunately, complaints surfaced in 2023 about Tom Sach’s unacceptable behavior in the workplace. From the very strict rules in the workshop to the inappropriate comments he made to employees, he became a hot topic. And naturally, Nike doesn’t like to associate itself with controversial figures. The brand doesn’t wanna catch any needless heat. So, their reply? They will seriously look into the allegations people made. And well, it seems like we got our answer.

Nike Tom Sachs… On Hold?

Despite the controversy a couple of months ago, the industry was still waiting for more Nike x Tom Sachs. In fact, rumors about a Nike Mars Yard 3.0 were going around. Although there were no leaked images or any confirmation from either party, the rumor stirred the sneaker scene. It also stated that the release would happen during the 2023 Holiday season. However, Nike cut the rumors short and announced that there aren’t any new shoes in the works. The Swoosh said that “We are not working with Tom’s studio at this time and have no release dates planned.”

The least we can say about this announcement is that it’s diplomatic. It doesn’t sound definitive the way it was when it came to Kyrie Irving. So that kinda leaves us to wonder: will there be a route back into the partnership? Will Nike wait out the Tom Sachs controversy and then recruit him again?

What Happens from Here?

For the time being, we’re not gonna get any new sneakers by Nike and Tom Sachs. However, the Nike statement kinda left the backdoor open for Sachs to come back in. But well, his coming back will leave us with certain questions. For example, shouldn’t the “innocent until proven guilty” thinking be applied to everyone? If the answer is yes, then we should take a second look at the Kyrie Irving drama. But let’s leave things to time. Until then, you can stay up to date on everything sneakers on our blog!