Report: Nike To Roll Out Signature Kaepernick Shoe Soon
Apparel giant Nike reportedly is set to unveil a signature shoe as part of its endorsement deal with free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Kaepernick has been signed with Nike since at least 2011, according to Fox Business.
But in September 2018, the company renewed his endorsement contract and made him the face of one of its marketing campaigns.
Kaepernick, a former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, had become a controversial figure due to his decision to kneel for the national anthem during the 2016 season in order to protest racial injustice and police brutality.
He would eventually opt out of his contract with the 49ers following the season, and he has not played in the NFL since.
His endorsement deal with Nike includes a Kaepernick-themed “Icon” jersey, which was released in February and cost $150 at retail.
But the “centerpiece” of the deal is a signature shoe set to be released in December, according to Yahoo Sports, which cited anonymous shoe industry sources.
“Sources declined to say how many Kaepernick shoes Nike would release, but the projected demand has been strong enough that the apparel giant ramped up production figures during the course of development,” Yahoo reported.
So what will the shoe look like?
Considering Nike has yet to make any official statement on the matter, that’s not entirely clear.
However, some social media posts in recent days have purported to reveal the shoe’s design.
A footwear news Instagram account called PY_Rates, which has been known to leak information about yet-to-be-released shoes, said the Kaepernick shoe is called the “Air Force 1” and has a black and white color scheme.
The shoe is “expected to retail at $110,” according to the Instagram account.
Also this week, Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid, a former teammate of Kaepernick’s who has continued his national anthem protest, posted an identical image of the shoes to Instagram:
“Game day fit,” he wrote in the caption. “You already know #ImwithKap y’all see the kicks.”
The report about the signature shoe comes days after Kaepernick worked out in Georgia as part of his attempt to make it back into the NFL.
The workout was scheduled to be held at an Atlanta Falcons facility, but Kaepernick changed things up at the last minute and moved the workout to a high school.
As a result, representatives from just eight of the 25 teams that were originally going to scout him attended the workout.
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