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“I wanted to do something different. New Balance wasn’t really at the top of the sneaker conversation in Chicago, especially around an All-Star Weekend. Again, ‘heads wear New Balance. New Balance put me on a different spot to stand out in my hometown for All-Star Weekend with those big drops: Yeezy on Milwaukee Ave. with tanks, Virgil, and Don C,” Freshgoods added.

The commotion for JFG and his collaboration with New Balance was far from over as Chance The Rapper, a dear friend of Joe and longtime supporter of DBM, wore the 992 onstage while the Chicagoan performed during the All-Star Game halftime show.

“Moment after movement that weekend. All organic moments,” Freshgoods said.

Humble as he may be, JFG isn’t afraid to make sure his work gets the appropriate recognition.

“It’s one of those things where if you know you know. If you don’t, I still appreciate you,” he said. “In my opinion, I killed All-Star Weekend. I gave the brand some light. I have a shit ton of new people (wearing New Balance). I stuck my middle finger to the New Balance snobs. You want to bring new people on board. That’s how the game works,” JFG added.

Coronavirus Response

While everything was on an up for Joe, things quickly changed as COVID-19 and the shutdowns in response started to take place.

Initially, Joe felt that it was a good time to let the foot off the gas to recoup. After a month or two, confusion on what was next for JFG and DBM settled in. Known best for being in touch with his community and customers with his pop-up style releases, Freshgoods knew something had to be done.

“If I can have kids lined up for sneakers in the cold, let me use this impact to help people out,” Freshgoods reminded himself.

And that’s exactly what he did.

JFG launched Community Goods and created a handful of pieces to fund resources for Chicago Public School students.

JFG also unearthed his unreleased collaborative pieces with adidas. Rather than letting the unreleased pieces stay stagnant in a warehouse to then be burned, JFG, the city of Chicago, and the Chicago Blackhawks organization teamed up for a drive-thru fundraiser. Every $300 dollar donation covered one students’ remote learning school supplies. At the end of the fundraiser, a total of around $90,000 was raised.

“I was able to take things that weren’t going to see the light off day and then make money off of it to help kids out,” Freshgoods said.

Performative vs. Productive

At the end of the day, it’s all about giving back for Joe Freshgoods. His community-driven nature was even more present this summer.

Following the protests that took place in raising advocacy and demanding action for the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and others, sneaker brands stepped up to the plate and gave back to the Black community.

Freshgoods, however, advised caution.

“There is a lot of performative ‘let’s give Black people dollars’ going around right now in the community. While I’m happy that we’re getting our just due, I don’t want people to take these ‘shut up black people’ checks,” JFG said. “I don’t want to be tapdancing over bread. I’ve been challenging every brand partner I’ve worked with. We’re going to see a lot of real partnerships beyond sneaker collabs in the next 2-3 years.”

It’s deeper than the actual sneaker collabortions. It’s about legacy. It’s about family. It’s about the community.

Listen to the Youth!

JFG reminisces on drawing sneakers in the his grad school days instead of doing math.

“It’s important for kids to know to keep that kid in you is taken care of. I always want that art to be at the forefront of what I do,” he said.

Luckily, a lot of his art is guided by his daughter. Whether choosing the colors or having subtle input in the pairs, his daughter is embedded in every project.

“It’s a part of my creative process. I want her to know that her art and visions are in all the stuff I do subtly. It’s big for me. It’s attractive when people find ways to put their family in their art,” Freshgoods said.

Shakespeare with a Sneaker Deal

English was Freshgood’s favorite subject. After learning how much little journalism paid, he took his passion for words and decided to translate it to his art.

“I love writing,” he says as he proudly claims the throne of being the king of writing love letters to girls in his younger days. “Storytelling and being able to tweet and write captions go hand in hand. I sneak certain releases and make people feel a part of the journey,” Freshgoods said.

As more Joe Freshgoods collaborations are on the way, more poetic work is on the way as well.

“I’m changing my bio to ‘Poet that just drops merch.’ I’m doing work for my spoken word brand. I’m speaking for a certain person. I do certain things for my Black people to understand. There’s a lot of boring people in this industry. I’m too real to be quiet. I’m still a real person. I just happen to drop clothes and follow my dreams.”

Unrestricted Free-Agent

Joe Freshgoods is reaching a Thanos-level of achievements. Every sneaker brand being picked up like an Infinity Stone. Tough? Certainly. Inevitable? Without a doubt.

In just one year, JFG has released racked up three giants with more on the way.

“I’m not trying to brag, but I don’t know anybody, especially as a Black man, to drop with Converse, New Balance and adidas in one year,” Freshgoods said.

The beauty, and secret, of it all is the luxury of the one-year deal. Killing the project. Raising the bar (and price). And doing it all over again.

“I’m dropping 40 points a game and signing a bunch of one-year deals to ball out. I don’t want to be locked down.”

Keep it locked on Nice Kicks for more on JFG projects including the Joe Freshgoods x New Balance releasing in 2021 and the upcoming Joe Freshgoods x Converse.