Cadillac Didn’t Wear Those by Accident
From Schumacher to Earnhardt, the Swoosh only circles moments worth owning
Welcome back to Business of Speed, a newsletter that explores the intersection of motorsport, business, and culture.
Over the past week, a small, but perhaps revealing, detail surfaced inside the Cadillac F1 garage.
Nike Panda Dunks.
Bottas, Perez, and Zhou were all wearing them. Staff were wearing them. It definitely seemed coordinated. And let’s be real, that’s not something that happens by accident, especially in Formula 1.
So, of course, internet sleuths began speculating. Who am I to argue with internet sleuths?
I spoke with several of my partnerships and commercial contacts, who said they have no information on any formal partnership between the two American icons. A couple of whom believe Cadillac is just trolling us.
While it may not fit Nike’s current direction, other footwear players have made plays in the paddock.
adidas has partnerships with Mercedes and Audi
K-Swiss has a deal with McLaren
Puma is a series partner with Formula 1
Whether this becomes a formal partnership is almost immaterial.
Cadillac is demonstrating brand intentionality.
They offer a unique opportunity as an American team in an international series, and the American footwear giant surely has taken notice.
Of course, Nike is not new to motorsport.
In the late 1990s, the company supplied racing shoes to Michael Schumacher and even produced a lifestyle adaptation — the Air Zoom Schu — attempting to translate its Air Jordan playbook into racing culture.
Around the same time, Nike partnered with Dale Earnhardt Sr., placing the Swoosh alongside one of NASCAR's most commercially powerful figures.
Two patterns emerge from those decisions:
Nike does not enter anything quietly.
And when it shows up, it tends to align with icons or those capable of transcending the sport itself.
At that time, the broader commercial ecosystem wasn’t ready to fully support that strategy. Today is a very different commercial climate.
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Great work, as usual VL and BOS.