Nick DePaula
Andscape
Portland, OR, United States
Contact Nick
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Past articles by Nick:
The staggering popularity of Kobe Bryant’s Nike signature series this NBA season
In April 2021, NBA sneakerheads were at a loss. Not only were they still mourning the deaths of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others a year earlier… → Read More
The Undefeated Holiday Gift Guide 2021 Edition
It’s that time of year again! The time to shower our loved ones with holiday cheer, and with the year this has been, we could all use a little more. If you have… → Read More
How J Balvin convinced Jordan Brand he was the real deal
Initially, Jordan Brand sought out reggaeton artist J Balvin as a partner in a series of Hispanic Heritage Month campaigns, with photographs of him in upcoming … → Read More
The complete history of signature sneakers in the WNBA
Rebecca Lobo tried. But even she couldn’t remember the entire list. In April, before the start of the WNBA’s 25th anniversary season, the retired hoops legend-t… → Read More
How Adidas is finding its way with its 2021 draft class and its move to LA
Once the second half of the Houston Rockets’ opening summer league game got underway, it didn’t take second overall pick Jalen Green long to get going. Just aft… → Read More
Behind the brand power of the ‘Space Jam’ franchise
During the 1992 and 1993 Super Bowls, Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny first crossed paths with each other in a series of ads. The idea from Nike’s longtime advert… → Read More
Sheryl Swoopes and the legacy of her signature shoe
As the Tokyo Olympics came to a close over the weekend, the dominance of the U.S. women’s basketball team was on full display, continuing one of the greatest dy… → Read More
The most impactful sneakers in the history of USA men’s basketball
Ever since NBA players first participated in the Olympic Games nearly 30 years ago, the global stage has not only helped to grow the game of basketball, it has … → Read More
How ‘The Players Trunk’ is changing monetization for college athletes
The decades-long conversation surrounding college athletes’ name, image and likeness rights is once again bubbling up in the makeshift March Madness bubble. On … → Read More
Black women are taking over the footwear industry
In celebration of Black History Month, it’s only right to recognize what’s become more than a trend in the footwear industry: Black women have taken over. And w… → Read More
Kobe Bryant tributes seen around the NBA
Throughout what has been an undoubtedly tough week for the NBA family, players around the league have looked to honor the late Kobe Bryant in a variety of ways,… → Read More
The changing landscape of NBA shoe deals
With this year’s NBA draft pushed back five months because of a global pandemic, the delay put the spotlight on an unprecedented marketplace for traditional sne… → Read More
The Kobe 5: Behind the biggest sneaker tribute in basketball
Ten years ago, on Oct. 26, 2010, the Los Angeles Lakers celebrated opening night of the 2010-11 NBA season by hoisting the franchise’s 16th championship banner … → Read More
How Kobe Bryant Changed The Concept Of Sneaker Free Agency
words // Nick DePaula: Before the 2002 NBA season, the term “sneaker free agent” wasn’t even really a thing. By that time, you had a few players around the league switch their shoe brands mid-career, but the endorsement space wasn’t covered to the depth we see today. You also just never got a sense that a player’s brand switch would create such an instant impact for his new company. Big names… → Read More
THE FUTURE 50 // Creative Director Herbert Beauclere
For Herbert Beauclere, sneakers have always provided an opportunity and a platform to bring people together. After growing up in LA with a passion for footwear, he worked at both of Portland’s top sneaker boutiques while finishing his industrial design studies at the nearby Art Institute. All along, he had a vision of working for a brand one day, though his entry into the industry came sooner… → Read More
Lonzo Ball Is Suing Big Baller Brand Co-Founder Over Missing Millions
words // Nick DePaula: Trouble continues for the embattled Big Baller Brand. Lonzo Ball has officially filed suit today in Los Angeles superior court against Alan Foster, former co-founder of Big Baller Brand, over a series of potentially fraudulent financial crimes. It was discovered that Foster had withdrawn more than $1.5 Million in cash and wired his outside consulting company $474,000,… → Read More
THE FUTURE 50 // "Sneakerbox" Clyde Edwards
For Clyde Edwards, it was only a matter of time for his fusion of passion and insight to be recognized. A self starter in every way, it was a decade ago in 2009 that he first got his start, by launching his very own YouTube account and video channel at the forefront of the “sneaker review” era, dubbed Inside The Sneakerbox. Keep in mind, Instagram hadn’t even launched yet, and Twitter was only… → Read More
THE FUTURE 50 // Marketing Exec Jeron Smith
While he may have traded in his sneakers for suits these days, Jeron Smith has been working towards making his own mark in the athletic industry ever since he first fell in love with the game of basketball in Chino Hills, California. In his current dual roles as both CMO of SC30 Inc. and CEO of Unanimous Media, Smith works with two-time MVP Stephen Curry on a wide range of the hoop star’s… → Read More
THE FUTURE 50 // Designer Nigel Langley Jr.
Since becoming one of the sneaker industry’s youngest footwear designers two years ago, Nigel Langley Jr. has continued on his path towards his inevitable future in the space. He started out at the Adidas Brooklyn Creator Farm while still in high school, and has since worked on freelance projects for the likes of New Balance, Puma, Reebok and more, as he continues his education and formal… → Read More
THE FUTURE 50 // LaToya Kamara Manley of Jordan Brand
When you combine a passion for creativity and expression with a knowledge of building product and inherent insights from culture, you get special results in this industry. That’s been LaToya Kamara Manley’s hallmark throughout her career. A longtime product creation expert, now leading the charge at Jordan as the Director of Women’s Merchandising, her work has helped to not only create memorable… → Read More