Dick's Sporting Goods Buys Foot Locker

All Cash. No Brakes.

When I was a kid, there was no better smell in the world than fresh pair of kicks from the ol’ shoe shop. While our family did most of our shopping at a now-defunct shop called Sneaker Corner, I had friends who made going to Foot Locker for new shoes their whole personality. Foot Locker was the King of Style, period. Yes, Footaction was the place to go if you wanted to pick up some cleats for gym class with your order, and everybody took turns being the “cool kid” by bringing that Eastbay catalog to homeroom, but Foot Locker was in a class on its own. (Note: all of these brands are under one roof as of this writing)

So when Dick’s Sporting Goods, that MASSIVE sporting goods store you visit because you’re not sure what to put in the search bar on Amazon, announced they were buying Foot Locker the first feeling was shock. But that shock quickly turned to confusion: When was the last time anyone shopped at Footlocker?

Yes, I’m WELL AWARE apparel and equipment companies are in a panic due to the looming threat of tariffs from the current presidential administration, but this article isn’t about that for two reasons. 1) The more I learn about the tariff threats the more confused I get, and 2) I wanted to focus more of the “strength” on the Footlocker brand. Dick’s plans to keep both nameplates separate, but the question I have is why?

What made Foot Locker cool was asking mom or dad to make a detour when you were at the mall to see the latest shoe styles. Do people visit malls anymore?

Prices were on the higher side but competitive. Do people looking for deals necessarily care about “where” they buy the shoe models they want anymore?

What gave Foot Locker a thrill was getting a hot new shoe design in the colorway and size you wanted. Don’t people who appreciate this sort of thing, have apps for that?

Sometimes when I’m at a party and I need something to talk about, I ask my colleagues for the evening if they “could bring back a brand, which brand would that be and why?” I’ve heard everything from Affliction (clothes), Pontiac (vehicles), Blockbuster (video rentals), or even something off the wall like Planet Hollywood (but not Rainforest Cafe, amirite?). The last time I asked that question, someone said Foot Locker and I didn’t bat an eye. I thought the brand was already dead.

But good on Dick’s Sporting Goods, though. They get to diversify their portfolio, and Foot Locker gets to have smaller storefronts in cities while Dick’s holds more larger stores in the ‘burbs. But if there are companies out there who are willing to bail out brands that people may think are already out of business but are still technically operating, may I suggest Sizzler?

Hell yeah! (Whispers) Sizz-lerrrrr