BRANDON JINX LAUNCHES LINEAGE FOAMPOSITE EXHIBITION MARCH 7TH NYC

## The Cultural Archaeologist Behind LINEAGE Brandon 'Jinx' Jenkins made headlines in 2023 when Nike tapped him to design the brand's first official Morehouse College sneaker. Now the 2009 Morehouse graduate is curating LINEAGE, a comprehensive exhibition exploring the Nike Air Foamposite One's 29-year journey since its 1997 debut. Jenkins, who boasts 72,000 Instagram followers and built his career from Footlocker teenager to Complex feature writer, brings rare credibility to sneaker culture curation. His philosophy centers on finding collaborators "who have a deep reverence for the brand, and even better, a love for the shoe they're working on". ## The $750,000 Gamble That Changed Everything Eric Avar's engineering team created Foamposite technology by pouring liquid polyurethane into molds using heat and pressure. Nike invested $750,000 in Korean car manufacturer Daewoo to create the necessary molds, a massive gamble for untested technology. Penny Hardaway debuted the Dark Neon Royal Blue colorway in April 1997, though Mike Bibby actually wore them first during Arizona's 1997 March Madness championship run. At $180, the shoes cost $30 more than Jordan 1 retros, immediately positioning Foamposites as luxury basketball footwear. ## From Court Flop to Cultural Icon Despite Penny wearing them in 1997 NBA Playoffs, initial sales were lacklustre. The NBA deemed the Royal Blue colorway insufficient for Orlando Magic uniforms, forcing Penny to color them with a black Sharpie, later commemorated with an official "Sharpie" release in 2015. The DC area, Baltimore and Virginia transformed Foamposites from court failures into street culture essentials by the early 2000s. Once consumers spent $200 on sneakers, "there's no going back," creating lasting brand loyalty. ## The Galaxy Phenomenon and $10 Billion Aftermarket The 2012 Galaxy Foamposite release defined sneaker culture excess, with extremely limited availability causing hours-long lines and thousand-dollar resales. One desperate sneakerhead posted a Craigslist ad offering a 1996 Chevy Cavalier in Queens for Galaxy Foams. The Galaxy release created a $10 billion aftermarket, proving Foamposites' transformation from basketball performance tool to cultural commodity. Supreme's 2014 collaborative releases caused such disorder that NYPD forced the brand to cancel in-store sales. ## LINEAGE Opens March 7th at 47 Chrystie Street The exhibition space at 47 Chrystie Street, a 1917 commercial building with 17,932 square feet, hosts LINEAGE from March 7-21. Jenkins promises "a tapestry of ephemera, art, apparel, sneakers and conversations" spanning Foamposite's complete timeline. The venue previously hosted Nike-sponsored events during NYC Marathon 2025, establishing it as a key cultural space in Lower Manhattan's sneaker ecosystem. Opening night programming begins Saturday March 7th at 6pm, with additional Saturday programming throughout the run. ## The Retrofuture Legacy Continues Air Foamposite isn't just sneaker history, it's cultural history, marking where style and innovation collide. Today the silhouette is considered a retrofuture icon, routinely reimagined by labels like Comme des Garçons. As of the 2020s, Foamposites maintain their unique position within streetwear culture, with the sneaker community eagerly anticipating new releases. Jenkins' LINEAGE exhibition positions itself as the definitive cultural examination of Nike's most polarizing creation.