Latest news with #NigelSylvester
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
MTA renews anti-subway surfing efforts with ad campaign
Transit officials are hoping a new ad campaign, a new spokesman and a few subway car modifications will continue to drive down subway surfing deaths. The MTA relaunched its 'Ride Inside, Stay Alive' anti-subway surfing campaign on Wednesday, this time with the support of Queens-born professional BMX bike rider Nigel Sylvester. Like last year's initiative, the push involves a series of recorded subway announcements — by Sylvester, as well as by New York City schoolchildren — about the dangers of riding on the outside of a subway train, plus a series of digital posters displayed on subway and platform screens. 'Subway surfing is going to get you injured or killed,' Sylvester says in a subway announcement recorded for the campaign. 'It's pretty simple: Don't do it.' 'I believe I can relate to these kids,' Sylvester said Wednesday, when asked how a professional thrill seeker can be a role model for safety. 'Kids can relate to me, and we can have a meaningful dialogue.' Subway surfing has been a persistent, deadly problem, with six deaths attributed to the practice last year and five deaths in 2023. Another 25 people were injured while riding outside of trains in those two years. The overwhelming majority of subway surfers are teenagers. So far this year, one person — a 13-year-old boy — has died from subway surfing, succumbing to his injuries days after falling off the top of a No. 7 train in Queens. 'As a father of three children, I can't imagine seeing my child on [top of] a train as that train barrels down the track,' said NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. 'I was a manager here on the [No.] 7 line,' Crichlow continued. 'I've seen on a first-hand basis what happens to the children when they come into contact with a fixed, immovable object.' The revamped campaign focuses not just on the dangers of subway surfing, but on the toll that kids' deaths take on surviving families and friends. A three-display ad unveiled Wednesday tells the fictionalized story, in comic-book form, of a 12-year-old who falls from a train, and the horrors his death inflicts on his friends, his mother and the EMT who responds to the scene. The MTA's chief customer officer, Shanifa Rieara, said the campaign involved 43 such ads that would be rolled out over the next 12 months. Other announcements focused on the senselessness of a subway surfing death. 'The rush from subway surfing is fleeting — the consequences are real,' Ahana Chandra, a student at Stuyvesant High School, said in her subway announcement. 'Six people died subway surfing last year, and for what?' The ad campaign comes amid a series of other efforts to curb thrill-seeking subway deaths. The transit agency is in the early stages of testing add-on barriers to train cars in an effort make it harder to climb up to the roof. Rieara also noted that the MTA's efforts to get subway-surfing videos taken down from social media continues. So far this year, she said, roughly 1,800 such videos have been removed by platforms like X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
The Star
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
The latest Air Jordans? They're digital
In March, when Jordan Brand released the Air Jordan 4 Brick by Brick, a collaboration with the BMX athlete Nigel Sylvester, they sold out almost instantly, quickly doubled in value on the resale market and were championed by collectors as an early contender for sneaker of the year. But for some sneaker fans, the real fun began two months later, when the Brick by Brick became available in Fortnite – as a fully digital replica that could be purchased for 1,000 'V-Bucks,' the game's virtual currency, or about US$8.99 (RM38). Fortnite , the online multiplayer shooter by Epic Games, introduced Kicks, a vertical within its popular in-game marketplace dedicated to footwear, in November. Alongside a handful of quirky proprietary designs, the virtual shop sells shoes by Nike, Jordan Brand, Adidas, Vans and Crocs, which can be worn by player avatars and shown off during matches. For gamers – especially kids – these digital sneakers represent a form of creative self-expression. 'The younger generation sees what happens on the internet as no less important than the offline world,' Funs Jacobs, a technology and culture strategist, said. 'To older generations, it sounds insane, but it's a bit of an identity thing.' They're also a big business. Fortnite , a free-to-play game, has more than 500 million registered users and an average of over two million active players every day. Its US$5bil (RM21.18bil) in annual revenue comes almost entirely from the sale of virtual goods. Though Epic would not provide exact sales figures, a representative from the company said players had selected and applied Kicks to their avatars nearly seven billion times since November. Sneakers were first introduced to Fortnite as functions of other brand activations, such as the game's previous collaborations with the musician Travis Scott, an ambassador for Jordan Brand who has several popular models of Jordan sneakers. Kevin Durkin, the senior director of partnerships strategy for Epic Games, said that Kicks was an extension of that approach. 'Over the past few years, we've worked with many of these same brands and simultaneously outfitted musicians, athletes and celebrities with iconic footwear in-game,' he explained. 'It was a natural next step to empower players to choose this on their own.' Epic and its brand partners divide the revenue from in-game sneaker sales. But the sneaker companies have a more salient motivation. Consumers have been losing interest in sneakers, as the frenzy for retro shoes whipped up during the pandemic has gradually abated. Putting sneakers in virtual worlds is a way to drum up interest among younger consumers, who may be converted into ardent sneaker fans because they saw the shoes in their favourite game. 'Gaming has emerged as a pivotal touchpoint in reaching and influencing Gen Z and Gen Alpha,' said Thomas Wehner, the global head of Adidas Gaming, pointing out that Adidas was eager to 'authentically engage' with the 'vast community, creativity and cultural relevance' offered by a game like Fortnite . Younger audiences can be difficult for brands to reach through traditional media. Advertising in television, newspapers and magazines rarely reaches them, leading companies to look for opportunities across social media and video games for better reach. 'By partnering with Epic and Fortnite to launch Kicks, we're meeting the next generation of athletes where they are – in physical and virtual spaces,' said Nikhil Pandit, global director of gaming partnerships at Nike. The sneaker market is heavily nostalgia driven: Fans who grew up watching Michael Jordan in the '90s have spent billions collecting his classic shoes. According to Nike, selling shoes in Fortnite is partly about the long-term payoff – it wants to build future nostalgia among a new generation who may one day want to buy the real-life version of the shoes they once owned in the game. But brands are also helping to facilitate the sale of real sneakers to those invested in the digital ones. Recently, Nike began offering customers who purchased digital sneakers early access to highly coveted shoes via their proprietary app – making it easy for a virtual customer to be converted into another real-life sneakerhead. – ©2025 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
New York Times
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Latest Air Jordans? They're Digital
In March, when Jordan Brand released the Air Jordan 4 'Brick by Brick,' a collaboration with the BMX athlete Nigel Sylvester, they sold out almost instantly, quickly doubled in value on the resale market and were championed by collectors as an early contender for sneaker of the year. But for some sneaker fans, the real fun began two months later, when the 'Brick by Brick' became available in Fortnite — as a fully digital replica that could be purchased for 1,000 'V-Bucks,' the game's virtual currency, or about $8.99. Fortnite, the online multiplayer shooter by Epic Games, introduced Kicks, a vertical within its popular in-game marketplace dedicated to footwear, in November. Alongside a handful of quirky proprietary designs, the virtual shop sells shoes by Nike, Jordan Brand, Adidas and Crocs, which can be worn by player avatars and shown off during matches. For gamers — especially kids — these digital sneakers represent a form of creative self-expression. 'The younger generation sees what happens on the internet as no less important than the offline world,' Funs Jacobs, a technology and culture strategist, said. 'To older generations, it sounds insane, but it's a bit of an identity thing.' They're also a big business. Fortnite, a free-to-play game, has more than 500 million registered users and an average of over two million active players every day. Its $5 billion in annual revenue comes almost entirely from the sale of virtual goods. Though Epic would not provide exact sales figures, a representative from the company said players had selected and applied Kicks to their avatars nearly seven billion times since November. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Hypebeast
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
First Look at the Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 1 Low OG "Nitro"
Name:Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 1 Low OG 'Nitro'Colorway:Black/Muslin-Varsity RedStyle Code:IB8958-001MSRP:$150 USDRelease Date:August 2, 2025Where to Buy:Nike Another collaboration betweenJordan BrandandNigel Sylvesteris on its way. Heading to the low tops, Sylvester adds his touch to the upcomingAir Jordan 1 Low OG'Nitro,' which is set to hit shelves later this summer. The BMX icon's upcoming collaboration was revealed via Instagram account@SharKickswhich teased the new colorway that sees the silhouette dressed in a black, muslin and varsity red color scheme. Purposeful scuffing hits the premium leather upper, giving it some added details pertaining to the skate and bike culture while the sail colored Swoosh gives it a more vintage aesthetic. The insoles and tongue branding sees Sylvester's 'Bike Air' logo in the red to contrast the white tongue and laces. The Wings logo hits the heel in white and 'Jordan Biking Co. EST. 2017' is seen stamped on the liner. Look out for the pair expected to drop in early August.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nigel Sylvester's 'Brick by Brick' Jordan 4 has sneakerheads in their feelings
BMX star Nigel Sylvester has had some pretty sick Jordan models before, but the two sides have never come together on anything as good as the "Brick by Brick" Air Jordan 4. The shoe is really simple. It's just a Jordan 4 draped in a red cinnabar color palette. But the subtle hits that make it Nigel's are what make it special. The "Bike Air" on the heel tab. The small swoosh on the toe box. The different textures and materials on it. It's an incredible model. The story is pretty solid, too. View this post on Instagram A post shared by nigelsylvester (@nigelsylvester) Safe to say this is undoubtedly in the running for one of the best sneaker releases for this year. The shoe released on Friday, but not everyone had the best luck. The SNKRS app betrayed so many sneakerheads out there. 'The draw is closed' But you didn't get a success message #SNKRS — (@smeblacknerd) March 14, 2025 Never winning a SNKRS draw. I might as well delete the app. — Marcus Dennis (@DamnNearWhite) March 14, 2025 Nothing but Ls for me this morning. L on all the raffles, L on Snkrs App. 😣😣😣😣💔 — ACESholding22 (@its_colecam) March 14, 2025 SNKRS 😠 — Jimmy 🔔 (@JamesMB_0731) March 14, 2025 SNKRS anytime it's a draw and I haven't used the app since the last draw… — ck 👳🏾 (@carringtoney) March 14, 2025 Better luck next time, folks. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Nigel Sylvester's 'Brick by Brick' Jordan 4 has sneakerheads in their feelings
