Subscribe to The Kicks You Wear with Mike D. Sykes, a drill down on the red hot intersection between sports and fashion. Taking The Kids Back to SchoolFor years — decades, even — Nike has been the default footwear brand for kids everywhere. Only 38.2 percent of retailers referenced Nike as their most popular brand for the 2025 back-to-school season. It’s poured money into a Formula One partnership with one of the sports’ most popular brands in Ferrari. Fans have been clamoring for a signature shoe from Nike from the moment she was drafted by the Indiana Fever.