Fire Footwear: Sneakers Talk (with Matt Frates)

Life Update: Welcome to Matt 4.0

A major life milestone has changed the trajectory of Matt's life. He gets behind the mic to talk through how a hip surgery will change his entire future. --- New episod

Nike Caitlin 1 - Too Little Too Late?

On October 1st, the first Caitlin Clark signature model dropped to the masses. CC's fire has dwindled somewhat since joining the WNBA. It begs the question, is it too lat

Kith is King?

Ronnie Fieg has worked to make Kith a premier brand in sneakers and streetwear. With consistent quality and presence, is it time to place Kith in the pantheon? --- New

On Has Entered the Sneakers Chat

Nike has taken some hits lately. The latest was losing international football superstar Kylian Mbappe to emerging brand, On. This may or not be a major blow to Nike, but

Saucony Has Entered the Chat

Saucony has made its presence felt within sneaker culture over the last few years. They are capitalizing on Nike's current dip. Matt talks about why. --- New episodes r

Nike Stock Crashes: Does It Matter?

Nike falls out of the S&P 100 for the first time in eighteen years and the Air Jordan 41 seems like a dud. Is it time to panic about Nike, or have they hit a valley that

You Will Turn This Off

Another episode where we put aside sneakers as the main, and talk about life. --- New episodes released weekly. --- Subscribe to Fire Footwear on YouTube: https://www

Sneaker Collabs Are Stale

Sneaker collabs used to feel special when they were fewer and farther between. Nowadays, collabs feel like GRs. Matt talks about how collabs feel stale, and how we may be

Yeezys are Back ... Really?

Kanye West and the Yeezy brand have made a return to the sneaker community, in the form of the Yeezy 800. To Matt, both the sneaker and the man are highly underwhelming.

In 2026, Comfort is King in Sneakers

Why are Nike and Jordan brand falling behind? It's simple. Other brands are leaning into comfort being paramount for aging sneakerheads. Couple that with great color ways

Are Sneaker Prices Too High?

Sneaker prices have climbed over the years. So much so that buyers are sitting out releases. A listen of the show asked Matt to talk through sneaker prices and their mean

Has Nike SB Lost Its Way?

With the announcement of a Nike SB Foamposite dropping in 2027, you have to ask if Nike SB has lost its way a bit. Skateboard culture and sneaker culture have been associ

Jordan Design Studio

Jordan Design Studio is the latest announcement by the brand. Focusing on eight cities around the world, and putting names like Chris Gibbs in association with this, Nike

Why is Nike So Disconnected?

In what feels like a thriving era for sneakers, Nike seems a bit out touch. Sure, they lead in terms of sales and money on a global level, but where are they on the stree

Sneakers are Thriving in 2026

We are halfway through 2026, and sneakers are thriving. Yes you can make the argument that retros are down, resale is gone, and others. In the end, sneakers is thriving a

Culture Vultures in Sneakers

Seth Fowler recently got some flak on X for selling a bunch of his collection. It led Matt to think about creators in the sneaker space who may be culture vultures, and t

Unresolved Debates in Sneakers

Throughout sneakers, there are debates we all have that never get resolved. After looking back at his own sneaker journey, Matt talks through three of these debates, and

I'm Not a Sneakerhead (and that's okay)

After seeing some creators talking through what makes someone a true sneakerhead, Matt takes a trip down memory lane thinking through ways he has changed as a sneaker lov

A New Direction for SNKRS

Nike made headlines with the firing of 90% of the staff working on the SNKRS app. This begs the question of what is next for the platform? Matt chimes in about the intent

The Book of Eastbay - Interviewing Art Juedes and Rick Gering

The Eastbay catalog, for those of a certain age, was one of the most iconic pieces of media in sneaker history. Between its colorful images, consistent presence, and sele