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Idea Generation

How Jae Tips Made a Beloved Sneaker Collab—and Why He Walked Out of ComplexCon | IDEA GENERATION

In 2020, a 30-year-old father of two in the Bronx had an idea. While struggling to establish a music career, John Jaequan Cotton, better known as Jae Tips, took inspiration from the streetwear brands he loved and committed fully to a vision for a personal brand focused on apparel and merch. After building an organic following for his designs, Jae stepped outside of his comfort zone and started knocking on the doors of the people who could help scale his vision. That hustle led to a partnership with an obscure running shoe brand, Saucony, and a series of beloved footwear collaborations that captured the imagination of the sneaker community. But despite critical and cultural acclaim, the harsh economics of streetwear and the crowded footwear landscape mean that Jae still cannot take success for granted. And it all started with one idea… Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 2:15 - Growing Up / Early Influences 4:50 - Dealing with Social Anxiety 6:08 - The Influence of Billionaire Boys Club and BAPE 8:10 - Lessons Learned Working at Footlocker 9:10 - Music Career / Shifting Focus to Merch 13:00 - Opportunities During COVID 15:00 - Creating Hats, Sneakers, and Shirts 17:55 - Keys to Building Community 19:30 - First Sneakers with Saucony 24:17 - Balancing Supply & Demand / Marketing 27:30 - Aftermarket and Resellers 29:00 - Five Year Plan / Managing Growth of the Brand 32:40 - Biggest Challenges as an Entrepreneur 38:20 - Aspirations / What’s Success? 40:30 - Leaving ComplexCon Sneaker of the Year Panel 43:05 - Turning Adversity into Art