Nike’s Resell Scandal and VP Ann Hebert’s Resignation, Explained

The biggest sneaker industry story of the young year is the resignation of longtime Nike VP Ann Hebert, an employee of 25 years who stepped down from her role in charge of the brand’s North America business last week. Her resignation was prompted by a Bloomberg Businessweek story focusing on her 19-year-old son, a reseller named Joe who runs a sneaker resale operation called West Coast Streetwear out of a warehouse in Oregon. The piece on Joe made public for the first time his connection to one of the highest-ranking executives at Nike, raising questions over whether his mother was complicit in his business of flipping shoes. Was she helping him get limited-edition sneakers to resell for profit? How aware was she that her son was doing, according to Bloomberg Businessweek, $200,000 in monthly revenue? How aware was Nike? Here’s how the saga of Ann Hebert and West Coast Streetwear unfolded, and what Nike plans to do about it.