Drop It Like It's Hot - Or What The Sneaker Hustle Could Teach Watch Town

As a Man of Oregon, I am fairly certain that agents of Uncle Phil (Phil Knight, and a lot of us who attended the U and benefitted from the donations made by Mr. Knight and his wife Penny always refer to them as Uncle Phil and Aunt Penny), probably put something in the water in Eugene that mysteriously altered my DNA to desire more pairs of Nikes than I will ever be able to wear. 

To this day, at the tender age of 52, I check the Nike Sneaker app more frequently than the international news... and I check the international news an awful lot.

One of the really cool things about the business of sneaker launches is the concept of the "drop".  The drop is not unlike a watch release, but in truth it is far more democratic, and tends to garner a LOT MORE interest and enthusiasm. The word spreads through several different mediums - Instagram, Facebook (less and less these days) not to mention the big dogs - High Snobiety, Sneaker News and Nice Kicks among others. But beneath these obvious layers where I suspect a LOT of dollars flow from Beaverton (Nike), Portland (Adidas), Boston (Puma and Reebok) to keep relationships nice, there is the sub culture. And the denizens of the sneaker subculture are more and more becoming the drivers of FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out.

Now the word influencer and ambassador gets, if I am honest, misappropriated and is greatly misunderstood. There is a misplaced belief in Watch Town that a poorly worded article bordering on what Google Translate would spit out that flashes for 5 minutes in the top section of Outlet X (which boasts a readership larger than that of most fashion blogs, excuse me while I die laughing, but I guess it's true if you count all of the click farms) that the brand paid anywhere from $500 - $1,000 for will reach more people than one thoughtful, sincere article written by a "true believer" as opposed to a gun for hire. 

Editors note - yes, as an English teacher I am very aware the preceding was a run-on sentence to end all run-on sentences.  

And this is where the sneaker world takes a different view. 

Now in Watch Town, these folks are often (and  rather uncharitably) referred to as "Fan Boys". But as I mentioned, the world of sneakers takes a different approach.  Rather than spurn these people, there are cadres of folks in Beaverton, Portland, Boston and elsewhere who have ONE brief in their job description - FIND EVANGELISTS! And really, that seems to be something that Watch Town could truly benefit from.

Trying to "court" those of us in the Fourth and Fifth Estate using the current approach of paying Outlet X, Y and Z to run your release, then sending the same release 72 hours later to everyone else is a losing proposition. Because not unlike the working men and women plying their trade down at the Port Authority, $20 dollars is the hourly rate (not including the cost of a hotel room should you want some privacy), and it in no way, shape or form means that you have an actual relationship. One recent example I can think of is Brand A who sent out a press release written by outlet X along with "sweeteners" to the other large sites and got huge coverage for their announcement.  Curious to relate?  They sent another release through the tubes about a month or so later and got... bupkis   I guess true love is only true if the check clears.

Now I've heard (in not so gentle tones, sometimes offered with a veiled threat) from some of the Pay-to-Date writers that I am naive. Well, maybe, but even if I was born yesterday, I stayed up all night and I am fairly confident that the actual payoff gained from the payola formula is not nearly what those plying the pay-to-play journalism model would have the brands believe. 

Shamelessly borrowed from the world-wide infoweb

But let's get back to the evangelist model.

Let's be real for a few minutes - Rolex, Patek and Cartier do not need ambassadors. They are known pretty much at every level.

But when we look at other very worthy brands that can't seem to gain sustained traction, despite tens of thousands of dollars wired to the bank accounts of Outlets X, Y and Z and no small number of product placements with the athlete, actor, singer, "influencer" du jour?  These are the brands that should actually start reaching out and identifying their ambassadors. It's a lot less expensive, and it guarantees honest, sincere promotion from a true fan, a true believer.  More and more, I actually really like the idea of brand ambassador or brand evangelist. And truthfully, I don't think there is anything wrong with that person getting the odd freebie, getting invited on the next factory tour, or being recognized by the brand as a REAL friend of the brand.  

Watch Town has now really become more and more a locale for transients. People drift in and out depending on whether or not silver has crossed their palms. And what used to unify Watch Town, the annual shows and fairs? They are changing and losing their importance to retailers and (if I am honest) to journalists. Watch releases are now dropping all year long - not unlike sneakers. So the question becomes, how do you stimulate the same level of enthusiasm for the latest Omega James Bond model (I mean, honestly?  How many of these things can they shit out?) as the next pair of Air Jordans? I have yet to see people lined up in sleeping bags and lawn chairs to even get the latest SWATCH release, although maybe the Keith Haring / Disney mash-up will start a new trend. 

No, I don't expect to see corporate lawyers, neurosurgeons and investment bankers lining up in front of Tourneau or Watches of Switzerland for the latest drop, but I also don't see nearly the level of enthusiasm that there used to be when Simon Cudd spread the word about the latest release that was coming.

Like I said - I may have been born yesterday, but I stayed up all night.

What To Wear On Your Journey (or look the part, be the part) 90 Day Essay Continues

I am an unapologetic Rowing Blazers Fan. There, I've said it.

This is a photo from my office, at the Adult Education Center I manage.  We work with low income and recent arrivals to the US, teaching them English (where needed), soft skills (interview techniques, resume and cover letter writing, etc.), and provide job training and placement. We then stay in touch with the student, pretty much forever (or until they stop replying to emails) to make sure that they are still moving forward with their lives.

When Wendy and I first moved to the North Shore nearly 5 years ago, I could not find a job to save my life (thankfully it didn't come to that). It was getting tough to get out of my pajamas and leave the house because it seemed like an inevitable wave of rejection was waiting to wash over me. While I wouldn't say I was paralyzed, I would say that I was that bunny in the road that was hypnotized by the oncoming headlights and moved a little bit too slow and just missed getting its paws run over.

Now the irony in all of this, gentle reader, is that the majority of my career has been in Education and Workforce Development. More ironic when you consider that my last job before we moved eastward was in a college's career services office. I taught a Career Readiness Bootcamp to graduating students where I preached the gospel of positive thinking, proactive attitudes, professional appearance and pretty much any other skill (hard or soft) that might lead to gainful (and hopefully) productive and happy employment. I think it is safe to say that on some levels I felt betrayed. I had followed the playbook, I had done everything that I thought I was supposed to. I would get called in for interview after interview only to be turned away at the final hurdle. It was pretty demoralizing.

After about 2 months of this, I found Phil Knight's memoir Shoe Dog -

As a fellow Man of Oregon I think this book hit me in just the right way at just the right time. We all tend to look at successful people, and somewhat readily leap to conclusions that while forgivable are somewhat inaccurate. Uncle Phil (if you attended the University of Oregon, he is ALWAYS referred to as Uncle Phil, but more about that later) wrote a fairly open history of not just Nike, but his own life. He was honest and did not sugar coat some things that he could have done differently and better as a businessman, a husband and a father. He spoke about about his own challenging relationship with his father, and about how that formed and informed his own adult life.

More than anything, it really spoke about resilience.  Nike started as Blue Ribbon Sports, but in fact it really started with a business school presentation years before. In the watch world where brands like Rolex and Patek were the result of long, steady dedication, it is easy to forget that there was a time when even those mighty brands did not exist.  To quote that other great commentator on the watch business, Barry Hearn -

"You can't take a baby and turn it into a teenager overnight,"

But back to resilience. I finally got a (very) part-time job teaching a career readiness program getting recent arrivals to the Boston Metro area ready to enter jobs beyond Uber and food service (not that there's anything wrong with that). And it was a long, winding road that year that in the end led to 80% of the students getting a better job.

But let's get back to today's post - Look the part, be the part.  What you are doing for a living, right now, this minute?  That does not fully define who you are, what you are capable of doing. In the current time and place that we are living - COVID LAND, it is easy (and understandable) to sleep a little bit later, skip that shave, pull on the sweats, pour a bowl of Frosted Flakes and hunker down for 3 hours of Rockford Files. And I know that it is easy for me to say it - but put on your "going to work" clothes, hit the streets (even if they're virtual) and keep swinging. There is no clock on this except the one that you apply. 

And if you think I'm just blowing sunshine up your collective backsides, allow me to complete my own personal story - after a year of teaching my one class, I was offered a full-time job in Boston working with students and job seekers.  And then one day the phone rang, and I was asked if I would be interested in applying to be the Director of the Adult Education center where I had taught 2 years before. 

As I begin my second year as the head of the program, I am reminded about resilience. I am reminded that where you are now does not and should not dictate where you will be. And although we are seeing all of our students virtually through Zoom and Google Class, I make sure I have on one of my favorite blazers, a good attitude, and a smile when I head in.  

Take the time to appreciate the journey, don't just be a tourist!

What I'd Buy Myself - Part 3

As we continue with the Tempus Fugit "Anti-Holiday Gift Guide" format, another thing I would buy myself (and spoiler alert - I already did!), would be a pair of the new ilmia sneakers.

As I have said previously, I am a long-term fan of ilmia.  I know the CEO, he's a nice guy, and I think that the ilmia sneaker is something really special.  

What ilmia is offering is certainly something different - sneakers made by hand, in Europe, one pair at a time.  And as a child of Nike (and previously Adidas) I can tell you that there is indeed something to be said for consistency.  ilmia does not give you thousands of choices.  You can have two slightly different flavors of white, or black, or if you're particularly daring?  Brown.

Courtesy of ilmia

Not unlike the Adidas Rom or the Puma Roma, or the Nike Cortez, this is a fairly straight-forward, every day sneaker. 

I like ilmia for a LOT of reasons.  It is not flashy, it is not screaming for your attention.  You will note that you do not have to go and get an ilmia app so that you can be aware of the next "drop".  Simply put?  They've dropped!  You don't have to panic, or suffer through an unseemly case of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).  You don't have to camp out in front of your favorite outlet overnight, in the cold, to purchase them.  There are no "signature" models... 

Okay, I take that back.  There is ONE signature model that I am aware of ; )

Now ultimately, ilmia is not for everyone.  And as my Mee-Maw used to say - "that's what makes a horse race".  

But, if you are not one to necessarily follow the crowd, and you want to treat your feet to something special?  I highly recommend them!

Summer Repeat - It's Gotta' Be The Shoes!

This originally aired several years ago.  I had the very good fortune to meet the owner of ilmia (who also happened to be the designer of the MIH watch) and buy a pair of his sneakers.  I later bought two more pairs.  

The world needs more Christian Gafners.  The world needs more romantics, more people willing to put themselves out there.  It does not need more cynical celebrity (or Outlet X chasing) brownie hounds who prostitute themselves for a quick gain.  

I don't claim to know him well, but I can say that the one quality that comes through in truckloads is sincerity.  His focus and passion for ilmia is inspirational, on a par with Phil Night traveling to Japan to try and launch Blue Ribbon, which went on to become Nike so many years later.

The world needs more dreamers - and let's hope that this is a dream that will again become a reality.  Here's to Christian, and here's to ilmia.

And now -

It's Gotta be the Shoes... and the Watch Designer!

I was the ORIGINAL sneaker nut! When I was a (younger) Northern Youth, my friends and I became obsessed by Puma, Converse and most clearly - Adidas! And to all of you "millennials" out there, this was 1976/1977 Northern Ohio - Nike was not what it is today!

So I became obsessed with getting a REAL pair of GENUINE, MADE IN EUROPE Adidas shoes. There were two small drawbacks:

1. I had a kid's size 3.5 - which meant Buster Browns or Keds, but no Adidas available in our exotic location for such small feet.

2. Being all of 8 years old, pocket money would not nearly cover such a lavish expense as $30 - $40!

So enter my mother - who secretly scoured most of Northern Ohio to find a pair of Adidas Cadet shoes in my size, and they were under the Christmas tree! MAN - I LOVED THEM! They were white leather, with red and blue stripes. Made in France - which to my way of thinking might as well have been the moon! I wore them EVERYWHERE! In the snow, in the rain, in the mud - always taking great care to clean them up after.

Years later when I worked at Tourneau, customers would often state that the high end watch they were going to buy was an investment. I would say - yes and no. It is an emotional investment for sure, and if you keep it on that level you will never be disappointed. That very small pair of Adidas Cadets was for my mother an emotional investment in me.

And now, I am older. I see things a bit more cynically. But last year while visiting the oxen space in Lucerne, I felt the first stirrings of youthful enthusiasm for sneakers again -

Courtesy of Ilmia

This the ilmia in white. A lot like the Model T, you can have it in any color you like, as long as it's white, black or brown ; ) And I like that!

Courtesy of ilmia 

I know what you're thinking - so "OLD FASHIONED"...
YES - thank goodness! There is something in all of us that wants the original - not an "homage", but the real deal, or as close as you can come. So it took a man with a bit of vision to bring back this classic.

Courtesy of ilmia  

WAIT - what has this got to do with watches??!?
I'm glad you asked!

Courtesy of ilmia  

This is Christian - watch designer formerly of Porsche Design. And here is the rest of the story courtesy of ilmia -

2004, Swiss industrial designer Christian Gafner discovered the limited-edition ilmia shoes on the Internet. It was love at first sight. Contact with the project’s Berlin initiators was quickly established and the whole story surrounding the sports shoe multinational and its injunction came out. Gafner’s practiced eye immediately spotted the shoes’ potential. Unpacking the pair he had ordered over the Internet, he breathed in a set of familiar scents: the hint of adhesive and the fragrance of leather that took him back to his childhood and the hours spent in his grandfather’s shoe making workshop.

2006 found Christian Gafner working for Porsche Design, designing wristwatches for the prestigious brand. Deciding to take on the challenge of ilmia, he paid several visits to Berlin and spent the following two years preparing for the brand’s definitive relaunch. As a result, the shoes continue to be handcrafted in Weissenfels (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany). Through skillful application of the rules of shoe making, every upper is hand fashioned from high-grade full-grain leather and fitted with an out sole.

The design reinforces the brand’s authenticity, steering clear of short-term fashion trends. ilmia has no graphic logo as such, preferring instead to embroider its distinctive logotype on the outer flank of the left shoe in acknowledgment of the orphaned left shoe found in the Berlin flea market – the event that triggered the brand’s rebirth.

So lace up a pair of ilmias and embrace your inner sneaker freak!

Bodega / G-Shock Drop - Full Video

Here it is, raw and not-too-refined ; )

Repeat - The Adidas Illness

This first ran a few years back, but several readers asked for a repeat, so here you go -

The Adidas Illness

As has been disclosed here more than a few times, I work from time to time with brands on marketing, sales and pr/media projects as an independent freelancer.   I am currently ensconced in a few very intriguing projects, and in the midst of doing some analysis this weekend I was reminded of some very interesting passages I read in Barbara Smit's Sneaker Wars.

Shamelessly borrowed from the INFOWEB

The brief outline , Sneaker Wars is about the birth of Adidas, and subsequently Puma and the complicated and sad rise and fall of the Dassler family.  And yes, that is very interesting reading.  But what plucked my attention was the parallel story of the rise of Nike and Reebok in the 80s, and the refusal of Adidas to recognize what was happening and adapt.  This was particularly borne out in anecdotes about the "Waffle" trainer from Nike, and the "Freestyle" from Reebok.  In both cases it was a vivid example of an almost criminal lack of imagination.  Clearly, nobody (except maybe Nike) had an inkling as to how big the recreational jogging market would be. And although the Freestyle was admittedly a happy accident due to a mix-up at the factory, it became one of the hottest selling shoes in the US due to the aerobics and fitness boom of the 80s and 90s.

And of course you probably know where I am going with this.  The fundamental issue that the watch industry is struggling against is change.  Change in distribution models, change in marketing approaches, change in purchasing patterns, change in expectations. But here's the funny thing - there are clearly still people buying watches.  But the days of the brands, brand CEOs, brand marketing chiefs, brand PR folks telling people what they should and will buy are now over.  And what is intriguing is that some brands (both solid and dubious) have recognized and harnessed the importance of communication.  Not merely with their distributors and retail partners, but with the actual people who will make the actual purchase.  And they clearly understand that communication is a group activity that is best utilized when the ears are open from time to time.  When you have a focus group of one, it is highly unlikely that you will have an accurate sample, and it's safe to say that the projections will never match the actuals.

Had Nike only focused on what retailers or prevailing logic and sales histories would have told them, they never would have made the Waffle, and likewise Reebok would never have made the Freestyle.  Sooner or later, you have to adapt.

Ironically, a lot of the difficulties the industry faces are not necessarily about product - although that is a familiar and popular excuse.  The North American Sales Manager will insist up and down the if she/he had better product then all would be well.  Sorry, I'm calling bullshit on that one.

The current crisis was not brought on by poor product offerings.  If Hublot is able to still dog-paddle in the rising tsunami of problems, then clearly the product is not necessarily what is holding brands back.  It is back to some very simple points:

1.  Supply and demand - if you flood the market with too much supply, the demand may still be there, but not at the prices you would like to collect.  Discounting, dumping, grey market all ensue.

2.  Performance based employment and pay - sounds harsh, I realize.  But if you are paid a six-figure salary to sell, those six-figures should not be guaranteed.  There has to be a REAL performance component.  But that performance must be REALISTIC.  Meaning that if the expectation for the sales manager is to sell 1,000 pieces in a market that can only support 300 pieces, that is not a "stretch goal".  That is an invitation to cut corners, dump stock, and do whatever it takes (ethical or otherwise) to make the goal.  Realistic performance is what has been forgotten, and that as much as anything is what has got us to where we are now.

3.  Better marshaling of resources - if sales are poor, per diems and travel expenses need to be brought back in to contextual realities.

4.  Connect with your real customers - even if you are a mega-brand, someone on your team should be keeping track of customers.  A gesture as simple, and inexpensive as a holiday card goes a long way towards fostering brand loyalty.  SWATCH, Richemont and LVMH have more than enough people on staff to put something like that together.

5.  And what I mentioned in the beginning - never assume that you're "the nuts".  As soon as you assume that you and only you know which way the industry is going, you should put on your parka and hop on the ice floe.  You are done, whether you know it or not.  

Because let's face some facts - if the big dogs in Switzerland and Germany were always right, the industry would not be in the situation it is now.

Adapt, or die.

The Adidas Illness

As has been disclosed here more than a few times, I work from time to time with brands on marketing, sales and pr/media projects as an independent freelancer.   I am currently ensconced in a few very intriguing projects, and in the midst of doing some analysis this weekend I was reminded of some very interesting passages I read in Barbara Smit's Sneaker Wars.

Shamelessly borrowed from the INFOWEB

The brief outline , Sneaker Wars is about the birth of Adidas, and subsequently Puma and the complicated and sad rise and fall of the Dassler family.  And yes, that is very interesting reading.  But what plucked my attention was the parallel story of the rise of Nike and Reebok in the 80s, and the refusal of Adidas to recognize what was happening and adapt.  This was particularly borne out in anecdotes about the "Waffle" trainer from Nike, and the "Freestyle" from Reebok.  In both cases it was a vivid example of an almost criminal lack of imagination.  Clearly, nobody (except maybe Nike) had an inkling as to how big the recreational jogging market would be.  And although the Freestyle was admittedly a happy accident due to a mix-up at the factory, it became one of the hottest selling shoes in the US due to the aerobics and fitness boom of the 80s and 90s.

And of course you probably know where I am going with this.  The fundamental issue that the watch industry is struggling against is change.  Change in distribution models, change in marketing approaches, change in purchasing patterns, change in expectations.  But here's the funny thing - there are clearly still people buying watches.  But the days of the brands, brand CEOs, brand marketing chiefs, brand PR folks telling people what they should and will buy are now over.  And what is intriguing is that some brands (both solid and dubious) have recognized and harnessed the importance of communication.  Not merely with their distributors and retail partners, but with the actual people who will make the actual purchase.  And they clearly understand that communication is a group activity that is best utilized when the ears are open from time to time.  When you have a focus group of one, it is highly unlikely that you will have an accurate sample, and it's safe to say that the projections will never match the actuals.

Had Nike only focused on what retailers or prevailing logic and sales histories would have told them, they never would have made the Waffle, and likewise Reebok would never have made the Freestyle.  Sooner or later, you have to adapt.

Ironically, a lot of the difficulties the industry faces are not necessarily about product - although that is a familiar and popular excuse.  The North American Sales Manager will insist up and down the if she/he had better product then all would be well.  Sorry, I'm calling bullshit on that one.

The current crisis was not brought on by poor product offerings.  If Hublot is able to still dog-paddle in the rising tsunami of problems, then clearly the product is not necessarily what is holding brands back.  It is back to some very simple points:

1.  Supply and demand - if you flood the market with too much supply, the demand may still be there, but not at the prices you would like to collect.  Discounting, dumping, grey market all ensue.

2.  Performance based employment and pay - sounds harsh, I realize.  But if you are paid a six-figure salary to sell, those six-figures should not be guaranteed.  There has to be a REAL performance component.  But that performance must be REALISTIC.  Meaning that if the expectation for the sales manager is to sell 1,000 pieces in a market that can only support 300 pieces, that is not a "stretch goal".  That is an invitation to cut corners, dump stock, and do whatever it takes (ethical or otherwise) to make the goal.  Realistic performance is what has been forgotten, and that as much as anything is what has got us to where we are now.

3.  Better marshaling of resources - if sales are poor, per diems and travel expenses need to be brought back in to contextual realities.

4.  Connect with your real customers - even if you are a mega-brand, someone on your team should be keeping track of customers.  A gesture as simple, and inexpensive as a holiday card goes a long way towards fostering brand loyalty.  SWATCH, Richemont and LVMH have more than enough people on staff to put something like that together.

5.  And what I mentioned in the beginning - never assume that you're "the nuts".  As soon as you assume that you and only you know which way the industry is going, you should put on your parka and hop on the ice floe.  You are done, whether you know it or not.  

Because let's face some facts - if the big dogs in Switzerland and Germany were always right, the industry would not be in the situation it is now.

Adapt, or die.

The Island of Misfit Toys

Phil DeVoss: 
I am ill-equipt in the philosophies of failure.

This is one of my all-time favorite Alec Baldwin quotes, and it comes from the film Elizabethtown.
The character Phil DeVoss is not so subtly based on fellow University of Oregon Alum and Nike founder Phil Knight.  Essentially, someone who has been wildly successful through dint of hard work, more than a bit of good luck, and perhaps some questionable moral choices when business and making money have run head first into doing the right thing.  And the other marked similarity is the refusal to recognize that despite the popularity of the expression, failure is, in fact, a very real option.

So what does this have to do with anything watch related?  More than you might imagine.  Yes, it's Christmas.  And if last week's New York Times was anything to go on the "big dogs" are pumping every last penny they have into a last gasp effort to try and recover some small portion of lost sales.  Unfortunately it is a bit late to try and reverse 11 months of shitty sales.  

Although it has been attributed to several illustrious people, it rings true and seems to be a business model for the high end watch industry -

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

A very big brand opened a new boutique recently just down the road with a glittering, star-studded event.  I suspect that my invite must have been lost in the mail ; )  

What was fascinating about this was the incredible amount of money (and watches) it must have required to lure movie stars, athletes and other luminaries.  Not to mention shipping the CEO and other loyalists.  Last but not least the bar bill.

Now on the one hand you could say that it's their brand, their money and that clearly business must be good.  But the word around the campfire per several independent retail partners and the people who tend to track these things is that in fact sales are not so great for even the big dogs.  It's a wee bit like the Emperor's New Clothes.  

At a time where sales are not just flat, but in fact dipping, people are being laid off, stocks of unsold watches are swelling -  is this really the time for this sort of excess?



When you are used to seemingly effortless success the sudden disappearance of it can be hard to take.  And as is becoming more and more clear, watches being made right now are more and more being consigned to the horological equivalent of the Island of Misfit Toys.

Waddle With Swagger!

Yes, as a Northern Youth I dreamed of being a Buckeye, a Scarlet Knight and many other things.  But so proud, so happy that in the end, I was, am, and forever will be an Oregon Duck!

Tempus Fugit, Baby!

As it has been over three years, this seemed like a good way to celebrate!  Thank you for your support!