Dennis Rodman was recently a guest on the debut episode of the Got Sole podcast, an extension of the brand that has taken the sneaker world by storm. Brother Jonathan and Joseph DiModica’s venture’s success is so staggering that the Hall of Famer was perplexed that they hadn’t been bought out by the two biggest sneaker companies in the world.
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The DiModica siblings started the company when they were teenagers to create a space for vendors and customers to meet each other without a middleman. They began hosting conventions and have hosted 26 to date in venues as big as Gillette Stadium and the Harvard University campus. Their events have become a staple within sneaker culture, with thousands of attendees at each event.
Over the years, Several rappers, athletes, actors, and pop culture icons have visited the Got Sole convention. They’ve also created a website that follows the same principle of no middlemen as their conventions. The company’s Instagram profile has over a million followers, highlighting their massive influence in the sneaker world.
Their raging success is why Rodman expressed his disbelief that they hadn’t been purchased yet. In the debut episode of the podcast, the five-time NBA champion said,
“I am surprised Nike, Adidas, any other big companies, have not came at you and said ‘let me buy this business’. Especially Nike.”
The brothers responded that they weren’t in the business for the money and were passionate about what they had built. Their response suggests they have no desire to be bought out or partner with Nike, a stance Rodman likely understands given his issues with the brand.
Rodman’s history with Nike
In 1997, Rodman signed a three-year deal with Nike that would pay him $500,000 yearly. However, his partnership with the iconic brand ended after just one year. Given his controversial lifestyle, Nike held a mutual interest in severing ties with the NBA legend and was glad to see him leave.
But during his time with the brand, he created history. According to Rodman, his signature shoe, the Nike Air Worm Ndestrukt, outsold the Air Jordan in 1996. He said on the Got Sole podcast,
“I sold more than Mike and Mike was pissed. Michael used to always talk to me and say, ‘F**k you.’ I said, ‘F**k you.'”
The former Bulls star was more than just a great basketball player during this time. He was also a pop culture icon and shenanigans off the court garnered more attention than his exploits on it.
His success in the sneaker world was short-lived, as he couldn’t rekindle the magic of the Ndestrukt with Converse.
