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r/UnpopularOpinion. Happy Monday, Future Party people. We’re not sure about you, but we’ve been obsessing all weekend over a recent Reddit thread debating whether soda should be viewed as candy or a drink since it’s basically liquid sugar. The post argues you wouldn’t order Skittles with a steak, but you’d happily gulp down a Pepsi. While we’re not 100% certain the rainbow confection is the best pairing in this situation, we get where they’re coming from. What do you think?
In other news… HOKA blazes a new trail, brands double down on nostalgia, and gaming spurs tech innovation.
Top Trends
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FASHION
HOKA races to become a bestseller
The Future. HOKA, the bright, bold, and performance-focused running shoe brand, has become a hit. People just can’t get over how comfortable they are to walk in. That level of functionality at the expense of traditional aesthetics may inspire other brands to copy HOKA’s feel in a better-looking pair of sneakers. But the bar is set pretty high.
Cultural support
If you’ve been outside lately, you’ve likely encountered a HOKA sneaker and wondered, “Where on Earth did they come from?”
Sprezza writer Clayton Chambers has a great breakdown:
Developed by French trail runners and former Salomon employees, Nicolas Mermoud and Jean-Luc Diard, the shoe was meant to be a modern take on the wooden clogs worn by European farmers — with a very cushy midsole.
The “oversize concept” became a hit with runners and within fashion trends like “maximalism” and “gorpcore.”
That’s turned HOKA into something of a tastemaker in outdoor wear, having collaborated with brands like Moncler and Engineered Garments.
All of that has added up to HOKA hitting $1 billion in revenue this year — 10 years after selling for $1 million to Deckers Brands (owner of UGG and Teva).
It looks like we’re about to see a lot more of these somewhat out-there but insanely comfortable sneakers.
CULTURE
Roll the hits // Illustration by Kate Walker
2023 is the summer of nostalgia vibes
The Future. With Barbie, Gushers, and throwback McDonald’s characters making waves this summer, some may wonder if we’ve time-traveled to the 90s. Nope, it’s still 2023. But the desire for brands to roll out new takes on classic hits — and consumers’ willingness to lap them up — might point to a deeper desire to bring back a little color and fun amid endless depressing headlines.
Childhood reboot
This summer, we’re looking back as brands tap into the “kidult” in all of us.
On the heels of debuting an adult Happy Meal, McDonald’s revived its character Grimace with a purple milkshake, which the internet took in some wild directions.
General Mills is bringing back Count Chocula and Franken Berry as part of its Monsters Cereals collection, which debuted in 1971.
The company is also pushing its fruit snacks offerings like Gushers, Fruit by the Foot, and Fruit Roll-Ups, thanks to a redesign by Pearlfisher.
The big nostalgia play of the summer is Barbie (with dozens of promotional tie-ins), despite the Hollywood machine being packed with reboots and sequels.
So, what’s with the doubling down on nostalgia? According to Neil Saunders, managing director of retail for data analytics firm GlobalData, “The pandemic caused a lot of dislocation, and nostalgia is something of an anchor."
Everyone’s looking for a simpler time, we suppose.
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TECHNOLOGY
Courtesy of Activision Blizzard
Video games play-test emerging tech
The Future. It turns out video games are the natural incubator for the newest innovations in tech. Why? Gaming allows tech research and development to occur in the service of providing fun — it’s the engine that helps keep people engaged with the story they’re playing. It’s possible if something doesn’t catch on with the gaming community, it may not have much success with the general public.
Fun factory
Bloomberg’s Vlad Savov maintains the biggest leaps in consumer tech start in the world of video games.
The computer chips used for most AI applications were perfected by Nvidia, after players called for more beautiful graphics in games.
The idea of the metaverse was popularized by games such as World of Warcraft, The Sims, and Fortnite.
Gaming is also why the livestreaming platform Twitch took off — people love watching Call of Duty.
But as Savov points out, not every emerging technology has been universally embraced by gamers — just look at crypto, Web3, and VR. That’s not to say they won’t still have their moments. But so far, there hasn’t yet been a use case that’s made them worthwhile additions to gameplay.
Now, all eyes are on AR.
Highlights
The best curated daily stories from around the web
Media, Music, & Entertainment
After an executive shakeup, Universal Studios film chief Donna Langley is taking oversight of all of NBCUniversal’s entertainment divisions — positioning her to one day take the CEO spot. Read more → deadline
To de-age Harrison Ford in the opening sequence of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, over 100 VFX artists at ILM worked for over three years to perfect a tech called “ILM FaceSwap.” Read more → variety
Bradley Cooper and his Lea Pictures banner have struck a multi-year deal with iHeartMedia’s iHeartPodcasts to produce a slate of “real people telling real stories.” Read more → variety
Fashion & E-Commerce
The EU hopes to pass a new climate law that would force clothing manufacturers to pay for their textile waste. Read more → bof
Birkenstock is looking to enter the public markets with an IPO that would value the German sandal brand at $6 billion. Read more → hypebeast
Famed ex-Apple design head Jony Ive and his LoveFrom studio have designed their first physical product post-Apple: a $60,000 record player from British audio brand Linn. Read more → fastcompany
Tech, Web3, & AI
If you want Apple’s Vision Pro headset, you’ll likely have to make an appointment, as Apple wants you to set it up right. Read more → Bloomberg
A school district in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is testing an AI-enabled robot across its campuses as its new security guard. Read more → wsj
A Canadian judge has ruled that sending someone a thumbs-up emoji is as legally binding as a signature in contracts. Read more → theguardian
Creator Economy
Threads has catapulted to become the fastest-downloaded app of all time — on pace to sign up over 100 million users within two months. Read more → nyt
Amid the ongoing Reddit protest, the company has told moderators they must remove NSFW labels from subreddits — a move that bars advertising on them — or the company will unilaterally remove their powers. Read more → theverge
Similar to TikTok’s Hype House, Samsung has opened its own creator community space, Future Gen House, for select digital creators to live and work in. Read more → hypebeast
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