Nike Exec Out After Son’s Sneaker Biz Exposed

Love or hate the grey area ethics of flipping shoes, the sneaker resale market has proven to be pandemic-proof and ever-booming. 

The problem is racking up the initial purchases on a credit card belonging to your mom who works at Nike.

Ann Hebert, the vice president and general manager of Nike’s North America arm, resigned Monday after 25 years with the company. She had become the head of North America in June 2020.

Last week, a Bloomberg feature glorified the “bona fide asset class” of rare shoes, but exposed how Hebert’s 19-year-old son, Joe, had spent over $132,000 on sneakers using a card in her name before flipping those sneakers for profit.

Joe Hebert had been reselling shoes and streetwear since high school and his West Coast Streetwear business was flipping hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of kicks each month.

He vaguely told Bloomberg his mother was insulated from his dealings because of her standing, and that he hadn’t used advantages like discounts or insider information.

A Nike representative told Bloomberg that Ann “disclosed relevant information about her son’s business” to the company in 2018.

Nike said it plans to announce Hebert’s replacement soon.