In every generation, one athlete makes a bold move, laces up a new pair of shoes never seen before, and does something that turns the footwear industry on its head. In 1936, Adi Dassler came to the Berlin Games with a suitcase of track spikes and persuaded Jesse Owens to give them a try. When Owens won 4 gold medals, he was catapulted to superstar status along with the adidas shoes he was wearing.
32 years later, when Tommie Smith took the 200M gold in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, he stood on the podium with a clenched fist high above his head and a pair of Puma suede shoes at his feet. Walt Frazier would also don Puma shoes that year, triggering a fan base a million strong to follow “Clyde’s” impeccable style.
On the heels of Michael Jordan, basketball-newcomer Nike soared past the competition in 1985 with the release of the Air Jordan line. As we approach the silver anniversary of MJ’s grand entrance into the NBA, Nike still reigns supreme in the sporting goods industry. History tells us that can change instantly when a star athlete bucks the norm to begin a different movement. The next seismic shift in the shoe landscape could be on the horizon, or overseas to be more exact.
Brandon Jennings has been a trendsetter since he skipped out on college hoops to play professionally in Italy for his “purgatory year” between high school and the NBA. On the business side of the game, Jennings signed a deal to be Under Armour’s first basketball endorser. The Maryland-based company is betting millions that Jennings can be a catalyst for a new generation of shoes and are promoting Brandon with his very own website (wheninrome.underarmour.com) and the “Young Money” prototype kicks that have all the sneaker blogs buzzing.
The Under Armour of today parallels the pre-Jordan Nike in many ways. Both built strong brands in other markets (Under Armour in performance apparel and football, Nike in running) before breaking into hoops. To gain entry into the lucrative basketball shoe market, they signed young standout players on the cusp of entering the league. Both Jordan and Jennings were innovators mentored by the sneaker guru himself, Sonny Vaccaro. Will the similarities end there? We won’t know for some time, but the battle over the feet of ballplayers and the thousand of kids that follow their steps is overdue for the next big shoe craze. Maybe the next big shoe tagline will read, “Be Like Brandon.”
Book to Read: Sneaker Wars by Barbara Smith (http://www.amazon.com/Sneaker-Wars-Brothers-Founded-Business/dp/0061246573)
Article to Read: The Last Don by Ric Bucher (http://espn.go.com/magazine/vol5no23vaccaro.html)
3 replies on “Under Armour, Brandon Jennings, and the Next Epic Shoe Deal”
Very interesting move by both Under Armor and Brandon Jennings. I’m really interested to see how Jenning’s decision to go to Europe changes the recruiting landscape and the choices these players make.
For Under Armor, I think it all comes down to winning and Jennings developing. In the list of examples you gave, they all had one thing in common, winning. If Owens and Smith don’t win those medals, then maybe we never hear of Puma and Adidas. If Jordan doesn’t develop into arguably the greatest player of all-time, then Nike may not have the brand they do today.
@BGleas
follow @BGleas on twitter
I think this is a very risky move for UA though because it remains to be seen how the “Upper Management” of the NBA takes to the kid once he makes a move to the NBA. I am not sure if there is animosity there for him not “following” the rules that they have in place. I think it also remains to be seen if he actually changed the landscape of recruiting. I follow college recruiting a bit and have not heard of anyone actively promoting themselves as heading overseas instead of college yet.
Also not sure of UA’s presence overseas, if there even is one. But could be a good ploy if their shoes are available in Italy.
[…] In doing so, Jennings not only got paid by Lottomatica Roma but by Under Armour, who inked the 19 year old to a 2 million dollar contract. Jennings quickly became the face of the brand’s basketball division that’s known for […]