The Kicks You Wear: Nike’s Hottest Shoe Isn’t a Sneaker

Good morning, friends! Welcome back to The Kicks You Wear. Thanks so much for reading today. I appreciate you giving me a bit of your time.

Bought my first pair of shoes for 2026, folks. It was the Kith x Asics Gel-Kayano 12.1. I was trying to hold out for at least until February before making my first purchase, but can you blame me? That Quartz colourway is ridiculous. I’m sorry.

QUICK HITS:

• Nike Soho has officially closed its doors! I won’t hate on Ikea, but I really did like that store.

• Lacoste opened up two new padel courts in Courchevel. Yeah, I thought it was AI, too. What a view.

• Lululemon had a strong holiday bounce-back on Monday after the brand raised its fourth-quarter expectations. Positive signs after a tough year.

Now, let’s dive in.

Looks like we may have overlooked something in the sneaker of the year conversation — although, this technically isn’t a sneaker.

Nike remained the best-selling brand on StockX for the third year in a row, according to the company’s latest Big Facts report for 2026. But its hold on the platform was fueled by a model I’d never have expected.

What’s new: The Nike ReactX Rejuven8 won on StockX. The recovery clog — released by Nike in January 2025 — was one of the biggest movers on the platform.

• Nike’s non-sneaker footwear sales grew by 5,811 percent on the platform, according to the report.

• That’s the most growth out of any brand on the platform with at least 250 trades.

• In second place was Bravest Studios at 197 percent, driven by the hype of its Bearclaw mule.

Zoom out: When most people think of the biggest movers when it comes to Nike products on the secondary market, they’re usually thinking of a hyped pair of Jordans, or an exclusive pair of Air Maxes, or some other limited-edition sneaker that has captured the public’s attention.

It’s certainly not usually a clog. But that’s what we have here.

Why that matters: As Nike has walked down its road to recovery, the brand has needed to find wins on the margins.