Skepta Says Nike Treated Him “Like An Influencer” And Never Received Royalties

Updated May 20th, 2024: Skepta recently took to Twitter to reveal some personal insight on his newly launched collaboration with PUMA and his thoughts on his previous partnership with Nike. He states that the current deal is his “dream come true” largely due to the fact that he received royalties from PUMA, inferring that he did not receive royalties from Nike. Additionally, Skepta states that he felt he was treated less like an artist and more “like an influencer” for not receiving any official education in design.

My shoes selling out again ? much better deal now I get royalties from shoes sold. Thank you to everybody on this shoe journey with me. Literally my dream come true #Skope ??

— Big Smoke – (@Skepta) May 18, 2024

Made bangers at that last place and they still treated me like an influencer because I haven’t been to school for shoe design but the game is the game, I could never complain.

— Big Smoke – (@Skepta) May 19, 2024

Skepta already made his mark on the sneaker industry before signing with PUMA in 2022. His work with Nike, particularly his Nike Air Max 97 collaboration, remains highly sought after and highly influential; comparisons were made to the Joe Freshgoods New Balance 1000 just last month. It made the news of his PUMA deal in 2022 somewhat bittersweet, signalling the end of an incredibly fruitful partnership yet promising a new one, likely with more creative control. We’re now getting first looks at the fruits of that relationship with Skepta’s PUMA Skope Forever.

An entirely new model, the first thing that jumps out in the PUMA Skope Forever’s design is the segmented, wavy overlays that run over the upper. Reflectively iridescent, they loop around the shoe’s full profile, leaving abstractly shaped holes that reveal black mesh underneath. Both of those design concepts are continued underfoot, where the midsole takes on its own jagged, curvy shape. Smack in the middle of that traction unit, a chrome patch adds some Y2K appeal that peeks out when these are viewed from the side.

1 of 7

The iridescence and metallic notes here reflect themes he explored during his time with the Swoosh, but additionally call back to the thermal, rainbow imagery of his last solo album, “Ignorance Is Bliss.” That connection is only made stronger by the alternate yellow and orange laces this shoe arrives with, a special edition touch continued with the all-chrome shoebox.

As of writing, the Skepta x PUMA Skope Forever launches in Europe on May 18th, commanding a €200 price tag. As of writing, stateside release info remains unclear. Keep an eye on this page for the latest details as they emerge, and take a closer look at this upcoming shoe ahead.

Elsewhere on the collab front, we got news of the Nigel Sylvester Jordan 4 RM last week alongside some close-up images.

PUMA x Skepta Forever @wideawakeearthquake

PUMA x Skepta Forever @wideawakeearthquake

PUMA x Skepta Forever @wideawakeearthquake

PUMA x Skepta Forever @wideawakeearthquake

PUMA x Skepta Forever @wideawakeearthquake

1 of 5