Welcome to Sneaker Game, the debut edition of Boardroom’s newsletter where I’ll be sharing industry insights, exclusive looks at new brand partnerships and provide access to the most impactful tier of athletes, designers and executives that move the athletic industry.
I’m hyped to kick this off, and I really appreciate you subscribing and reading along about the Sneaker Game. This is big business, after all. According to Allied Market Research, the global sneaker market was valued at $131.1 billion in 2021, and is projected to reach a towering $215.6 billion by 2031.
I might be biased, but basketball has long led the energy, innovation and impact behind the foundation of the industry. As both the NCAA and NBA seasons are about to get underway, let’s start by diving into the athletes that are leading the current classes of each level.
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College Women Run NIL Shoe Deals |
For decades, shoe brands have been circling and tracking hoopers from a young age, with the hopes of one day signing them to a major shoe deal once they turned pro. That all changed in the summer of 2021 with the advent of NIL deals.
Two seasons later, a massive marketing trend has quickly emerged — women are leading the way with NIL shoe deals, becoming leading faces of brands before even entering the WNBA.
Just two male NIL shoe deals are in place this season — USC’s Bronny James and Kentucky’s DJ Wagner. Both are Nike athletes, both with hoop ties. Wagner’s pops, Dajuan, also played for Coach Cal some 20 years ago, while, of course, Bronny is the son of Nike lifer LeBron James.
On the women’s side, a staggering nine athletes boast a full-scope NIL shoe deal in place across seven brands. When each company announced their respective featured faces, they highlighted messaging and talking points like “growing the game” and “inspiring the next generation of young girls.” Which is a fact — the impact has been immediate.
Angel Reese will mark an entirely new chapter for Reebok. Cameron Brink is the first-ever female hooper to sign with New Balance. Caitlin Clark has led the way in what it means to put your state on the map, while also regularly appearing in seasonal Swoosh campaigns.
Other female stars such as Hailey Van Lith, Juju Watkins, Flau’jae Johnson, Azzi Fudd, Kiki Rice, and Paige Bueckers are continuing to flex their reach across social media for each of their brand partners.
There’s also a case to be made that the athletes with school-conflicting deals – like the trio of Reese, Johnson, and Van Lith at Nike-sponsored LSU – are actually more noticeable as endorsers, even though they must wear Tiger-hued Nike shoes in games. I’m seeing a runway where they can be more disruptive than expected with their respective Reebok, Puma and Adidas deals.
Already, Brink, who attends Swoosh-repped Stanford, has held youth basketball camps with New Balance for young girls in her hometown of Portland. This is just one example of brands looking to activate their partnerships on both a local, national and ultimately global level. “I hope we inspire athletes around the world to fearlessly pursue their dreams,” said Brink. |
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The 2023 NBA Rookie Shoe Deals So Far |
Early on, the 2023 crop of NBA rookies was pegged as one of the deepest drafts in recent memory, with multiple top picks projected to become future All-Stars, followed by a depth of promising players to be selected thereafter.
With a range of wings and guards throughout the first round, and a 7-foot-4 big man in Wemby that clearly defies all convention at his size, it could also become one of the more impactful drafts of the last decade from a marketing standpoint. Here’s who each brand has signed from the 2023 NBA Draft class thus far: |
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NIKE Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs Brandon Miller, Charlotte Hornets Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons Anthony Black, Orlando Magic Kobe Brown, LA Clippers |
| Bilal Coulibaly, Washington Wizards
Keyonte George, Utah Jazz Jordan Hawkins, New Orleans Pelicans Dereck Lively II, Dallas Mavericks
Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Dallas Mavericks Julian Strawther, Denver Nuggets Cason Wallace, OKC Thunder |
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With nearly 70% of the NBA signed to the Swoosh since becoming the league’s official uniform manufacturer in 2017, Nike has cast a wide net in every draft since, landing nearly a dozen draftees in each class thereafter.
This year, the haul is undoubtedly headlined by Victor Wembanyama, who in just a handful of preseason games is already proving he just might live up to the lofty, lofty hype early on.
Landing the Thompson Twins, who had huge interest from competitors as they looked to achieve their childhood dream of “getting a shoe company,” was a massive win. Anthony Black’s court vision alongside reigning ROY Paolo Banchero should make the Magic a League Pass favorite, Charlotte’s Brandon Miller is a natural-born-scorer, and Keyonte George could prove to be the steal of the draft for Utah.
In all, the Swoosh did well. |
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JORDAN
Jett Howard, Orlando Magic Cam Whitmore, Houston Rockets Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami Heat Marcus Sasser, Detroit Pistons
Jordan Brand always refers to their athletes and endorsers as “family,” so it was only right that each of their rookie signings had a pre-pro connection to the brand already in place.
Jett Howard, son of longtime NBA vet Juwan Howard, played for his pops at Jordan-sponsored Michigan, former UCLA forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. laced up in Lukas and Zions while in Westwood, and Marcus Sasser was at Jumpman-branded Houston during his four collegiate seasons. Rockets rookie Cam Whitmore even played for Carmelo Anthony’s Jordan-sponsored AAU squad, Team Melo, way back in middle school. “It’s super dope to be signed to Jordan Brand after being at a Jordan Brand school,” said Howard. “In college, I wanted this to happen.” |
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NEW BALANCE
Nick Smith, Charlotte Hornets
Since their NBA re-emergence in 2018 that began with intern-turned-first-round-pick Darius Bazley, New Balance has almost exclusively signed veterans as endorsers in the handful of years since. Nick Smith, a 6-foot-5 point guard out of Arkansas taken 27th overall by the Hornets, changes that, bringing some youthfulness and well, balance, to the New Balance roster. |
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ADIDAS
Gradey Dick, Toronto Raptors Jalen Hood-Schifino, Los Angeles Lakers
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Golden State Warriors |
| Kris Murray, Portland Trail Blazers Max Lewis, Los Angeles Lakers
Jalen Wilson, Brooklyn Nets Jaylen Clark, Minnesota Timberwolves |
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While perhaps a lighter Three Stripes class than in years past, I attribute a lot of the shift in draft strategy to the fact that Adidas is already locked in with five signature athletes, while prioritizing the launch of Anthony Edwards’ killer debut model this fall.
Like Jordan, the brand largely kept things in the family, landing Adidas powerhouse college stars like Kansas’ Gradey Dick and Indiana’s Jalen Hood-Schifino — both of which had Adidas NIL deals while in school — to lead their rookie class. |
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UNDER ARMOUR Jarace Walker, Indiana Pacers
The No. 8 pick in the draft just might be one of Under Armour’s most familiar signings upon entering the league. The Baltimore native in UA’s backyard played for Team Thrill on the brand’s AAU circuit for four years, while also attending UA-sponsored IMG Academy during High School, before bringing things full circle as a pro. |
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PUMA Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers Sidy Cissoko, San Antonio Spurs
Waaaay before Scoot Henderson heard his name called by Adam Silver this past June, Puma was locked in. The brand originally signed the explosive point guard to a shoe deal during the summer of 2021, when the Marietta, Ga., native was just 17 years-old and had signed with the G-League Ignite.
Fast forward a year later, and Scoot was starring for the Ignite and facing off against Wemby in Vegas. The game had so much buzz and Puma felt so strongly about Scoot’s 28-point showing and star power that they pressed “go” right then on a signature shoe for his rookie season. As a result, the brand took a more measured approach to this year’s draft and the fall sneaker agency windows, with both LaMelo Ball and Scoot Henderson locked in as their signature athletes going forward. |
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Skechers is entering performance hoops for the first time, and has officially signed both Julius Randle and Terance Mann as inaugural endorsers. There’s more in store for the brand soon...
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New Balance has been strategically adding just one or two vets from each fall’s sneaker free agent crop as they build out their roster. Their newest signing is Cleveland Cavs All-Star guard Darius Garland.
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After a championship run in June, Bruce Brown not only landed a lucrative new deal with the Indiana Pacers, he also inked a shoe deal with Jordan Brand.
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Longtime design exec Ken Link, one of the greatest design leaders in the footwear industry that has led the Nike Basketball, Nike Training, and Jordan Brand categories during his career, has joined New Balance as its new Design Director of Sport Innovation.
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LeagueFits staple and Laker wing Jarred Vanderbilt has signed with Adidas, and I’m expecting he’ll be an early favorite to showcase Los Angeles-based brand Fear of God’s upcoming launches with Adidas.
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Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo actually has two contract extensions in place heading into the season. He quietly extended his signature shoe deal with Nike earlier this summer, ahead of its 2024 expiration, guaranteeing him a namesake series into the double digit models as a continuing global face of the Swoosh.
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My first pick is an inside job, for sure, but what other platform has their own PE? In celebrating the team that’s powered both 35V and Boardroom alongside Kevin Durant, this clean black and off-white Nike KD 16 features official logos along both the tongue and insole. |
"The KD16 Boardroom design is not only Kevin's nod to what he's built off the court, but is a way for us to inspire confidence for anyone to rock it in any setting — be it the actual boardroom or on the court," said Rich Kleiman, CEO and co-founder of Boardroom. "It's a little nod to the idea that business happens everywhere you are." The colorway will be available on Nike.com on 11/1. |
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Launches to look forward to include one of Sabrina’s most beloved colorways from her 2023 season, Austin Reaves’ new signature shoe that’s perfect for Laker faithful to start the season, and the latest expectedly chaotic colorway of LaMelo Ball’s third model with Puma. |
Nike Sabrina 1 “Grounded” 10/26 on Nike.com |
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Who’s got the best signature shoe of the season? |
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Dive into a mix of our recent best features – from Ian Stonebrook’s in-depth look at the industry-leading business impact of the iconic Air Jordan 1, an exclusive conversation with
Devin Booker detailing his first signature shoe, and how
A$AP Rocky will look to leave his imprint on a new creative partnership with Puma that will zero in on F1. |
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