Don’t blame Nike for Kash Patel’s ugly sneakers

When FBI Director Kash Patel arrived at a joint training session with the mixed martial arts league UFC over the weekend at the FBI Academy in Virginia, he was wearing a custom pair of Nike sneakers that past directors wouldn’t have dared to step out in. Patel’s bespoke shoes were black, white, and yellow, and featured a number 9 on the side to signify that he is the bureau’s ninth director. A “K$H” logo on the tongue is Patel’s personal logo (FBI directors have personal logos now), and a skull from the Marvel character Punisher appeared across the back of the shoe, along with the FBI’s slogan “Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity,” according to images that a source sent to William Turton, a reporter for ProPublica who covers federal law enforcement. However, Nike didn’t design or produce the customized embellishments, Fast Company can confirm. A photo from a LinkedIn post that’s no longer public showed Patel color-coordinating