Bimma Williams on What It's Really Like to Work in the Sneaker Industry | The Complex Sneakers Show

Bimma Williams is an entrepreneur and podcast host who spent years in the sneaker industry at brands like Saucony, Adidas, and Nike. Now, he interviews subjects from the footwear scene and beyond on his Claima Stories podcast. In this episode, Williams tells stories about his work on the Adidas Yeezy business, his time alongside Travis Scott at Nike, and finding his community as a Black man in the industry. Williams previews his first sneaker collaboration, a Saucony set to drop this weekend. Also, cohosts Joe La Puma, Brendan Dunne, and Matt Welty get caught up on sneaker news like Taylor Swift’s New Balances, the Born x Raised Dunk release, and Anthony Edwards’ Adidas signature model. 0:00 - 3:44: Host Intros 3:45 - 5:04: Taylor Swift Wearing New Balance 550 5:05 - 7:12: Kith’s Toronto Opening 7:13 - 11:06: Acronym x Nike Air Prestos 11:07 - 12:35: Nike Air Footscape Woven - Cow or Giraffe Print? 12:36 - 14:51: Upcoming Salehe Bembury x New Balance 1906 14:52 - 19:03: JLP’s Bidding War for A-Cold Wall x Nike Air Max 19:04 - Born & Raised x Nike SB Dunk Low 19:47 - 22:39: Bimma Williams Joins CSS 22:40 - 29:20: Sneaker Cam 29:28 - Bimma on Working at Nike, Adidas + Saucony 35:11 Working With Kanye at Yeezy 43:36 46:12: Leaving Adidas for Nike Entertainment 46:13 - 49:05: Leaving Nike to Pursue his Claima Stories Podcast 49:06 - 53:17 Bimma on Starting at and Returning to Saucony 53:18 - 55:44: Relocation To Oregon Is a Must for Nike and Adidas 55:45 - 59:05: Smaller Sneaker Brands On the Rise 59:06 - 1:00:44: Running the Portland Marathon 1:00:45 - 1:09:04: Bimma Speaks to being a Black Man in the Sneaker Industry 1:09:05 - 1:11:24: Bimma on Getting His Own Shoe 1:11:25 - 1:14:00: Bimma’s Interview With Tyler the Creator 1:14:01 - 1:16:25: Adidas CEO’s Recent Kanye West Comments 1:16:26 - 1:18:38: Unboxing the Claima x Saucony 3D Grid Hurricane “Claim a Seat” 1:18:39 - 1:20:55: Outro Subscribe to Complex on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Complex Check out more of Complex here: http://www.complex.com https://twitter.com/Complex https://www.facebook.com/complex http://instagram.com/complex COMPLEX is a community of creators and curators, armed with the Internet, committed to surfacing and sharing the voices and conversations that define our new America. Our videos exemplify convergence culture, exploring topics that include music, sneakers, style, sports, and pop culture through original shows and Complex News segments. Featuring your favorite celebrities, authoritative commentary, and a unique voice, our videos make culture pop.