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"Basketball will be less than five percent of U.S. sport shoes this year and are expected to decline again next year," NPD analyst Matt Powell tweeted recently, adding, "Participation in basketball is in decline." In an interview he added, "They (brands) are all trying to establish a foot- hold in performance on the presumption that performance comes back at some point. I'm not sure I'm buying into that theory that performance does come back as fashion." Still, developments over the last six months suggest that brands in the basketball shoe category are betting that the category can come back, at least as a fashion statement. The influx of brands looking to erode some of Nike's dominant share and infringe on the Swoosh's luster in the category began with Puma, which decided late last year to re-enter the segment as a means of establishing a new foothold in the men's athletic business in the U.S. and take the brand beyond soccer with men, much in the way the Rihanna partnership elevated its women's fashion side a few seasons back. CEO Bjorn Gulden is keenly aware of the strong connec- tion between basketball and urban culture and is banking on that to gain some new traction for the brand in the U.S. "Basketball, again, it has to be seen as cool by our consumer," Foot Locker CEO Dick Johnson told analysts recently. "But I've said many times, our kid is not focused as much on categories as they are on cool. And if cool hap- pens to be in basketball, our consumer will be motivated by that and buy basketball." The Cat spent money signing young NBA rookies Marvin Bagley III, Deandre Ayton and Zhaire Smith to multi- year footwear and apparel deals and tapped Jay-Z as creative director for the business in June. Puma also has others wearing the brand on NBA courts this season, including Golden State's DeMarcus Cousins and Terry Rozier of the Celtics. In October, a modernized version of the original Clyde sneaker from 1973 (the first of three versions to hit stores before Thanksgiving), the Clyde Court, debuted. Puma's basketball re-entry after a 17-year absence — and the rising popularity of everything '90s — has emboldened other brands to dust off their archives and reconnect with their former basketball player endorsers to get back in the game, if only from a fashion perspective. Critics argue that is a smarter strat- egy than striking huge, multi-million-dollar contracts with today's young pros and banking on a Jordan-esque return. NPD's Powell says Puma didn't lay out huge cash for its basketball player signings, instead relying on incentive- laden contracts. Yet there's still life in the Star Player model: Under Armour lured 76ers center Joel Embiid away from Adidas earlier this fall with a lucrative, five-year pact. Adidas may be working aggressively on a fashion-forward project tied to basketball in 2019 that would go beyond the 1990s connection. In late September, Three Stripes pitch- man and creative force Kanye West teased on social media about the first basketball-themed Yeezys with a full-length Boost midsole as being in development. The buzz took a twist a few weeks later when reports surfaced that the NBA would ban the Yeezy design on court unless reflective BASKETBALL 40 • Footwear Insight ~ November/December 2018 footwearinsight.com Reebok's Mobius OG MU is retro- styled with zig- zag waves on the upper and a higher cut at the ankle. MSRP $140. Graphics on the AND1 Tai Chi Mixtape feature original Mixtape Tour art from renowned street artist Gene Pendon. Fila's 95 Primo, with its crafted tumbled leather upper, special lace system and 95 logo detailing, is a modern take on one of the brand's most iconic basket- ball silhouettes. MSRP $120. Brands in the basketball shoe category are betting that the category can come back, at least as a fashion statement.