Five WTF Sneaker Moments of 2024
The 2024 sneakerscape dished up a handful of moments over the past twelve months that had us at our desks whispering ‘What the actual f*ck’, from the bountiful amount of , epic catastrophes or just straight up head scratching releases. We also had plenty of high-scale heists to report on, Donald Trump dropped his Never Surrender sneakers, and one of the footwear design GOATs got axed. A year for the history books, no doubt, keep on scrollin’ for the five sneaker moments of 2024 that made us say ‘WTF’.
Shoe Surgeon Got Sued!
Not only one of the biggest ‘WTF’ sneaker moments, but potentially the biggest story of 2024 was that prominent sneaker customiser was being sued by . This was after he was taken to court by , which didn’t hit as hard as being sued by Team Swoosh since he previously had a good working relationship with them. In July, Nike filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in the Southern District of New York, and within the lawsuit, Swoosh lawyers explicitly state that this case is not concerning the one-of-one customisations, but rather TSS's 'attempts to build an entire multifaceted retail empire through their unauthorized use of Nike’s trademark rights and the associated goodwill that Nike spent decades accruing'. Nike were looking to stop The Shoe Surgeon from selling what they deem counterfeit shoes and his instructions/workshops on how to build their sneakers. They are also seeking statutory damages of over 30 trademarks, which totalled $60 million! Read a detailed explanation of the lawsuit and keep up to date with all the info .
Keep on Trumpin’
In February, Donald Trump said he would be attending Sneakercon Philadelphia. A day later, he was at the event and to everyone’s surprise unveiled his $400 Never Surrender sneaker. These gaudy gold high-tops were limited to only 1000 autographed pairs and were described on his website like this: 'They're for the go-getters who don't know the word quit. With a standout gold finish and the "T" badge, these kicks are for true Patriots. Wrapped with an American flag on the collar, they shout out to the brave and the free.' Since then, he has dropped a gaggle of other horror-inducing silhouettes, along with a Victory 47 cologne... Read about how the Trump tariffs could affect sneaker prices .
Rat Slides
For fashion kids who were chronically online in the late-2010s, you would have already been familiar with bootlegger . Well, in 2024 the whole world knew his name thanks to his viral AF . These bad boys made us scream WTF in the best way possible – it was nice to break up the daily doom scroll with a chuckle over some literal rat shoes. Plenty of memes spawned from the slides too that had everyone at SF HQ LMAOing.
Ye Fires Steven Smith
holds plenty of weight in the sneakerverse and beyond, having designed some of the most iconic pieces of footwear to ever exist. Almost a decade ago, Smith went to and he was responsible for many of the iconic designs such as the . He was also 'employee one and only' at Donda Design, where he worked on any and all products. Earlier this year, it was announced that Ye had fired the design legend. Despite this sour end, Smith told that, 'I’m in a very happy place with it all. I will certainly be a priceless asset to whoever I work with next. It’s all his loss and the result of his foolishness’. Not long after the announcement, it was revealed that Smith had joined as .
Everything Getting Stolen
Criminal activity isn’t a new phenomenon in sneakers, but in 2024, robberies were taken to a whole new level. Smash-and-grabs at local sneaker spots have been wreaking havoc for small business owners, and big brands are feeling the pinch. One of the involved $200,000 worth of Nike product stolen from a train. Yep, you read that correctly, a train! It was alleged that the multiple thieves broke into a train container, stealing almost 900 pairs of sneakers, which included the ‘Columbia’. Unfortunately for them, California Highway Patrol picked up the suspects in Anaheim where they were arrested and charged with felony grand theft of cargo.
Peruse the best sneaker moments of 2024 right !