A Look at the Absence of Signature Sneakers in the NFL

Yes, NFL players are susceptible to injury. Yes, NFL careers are short. Yes, it is difficult to pick many NFL players out of a lineup when they are not in uniform. With such a sizeable list of cons, is a football signature worth a sneaker company’s money? We say yes, and here’s why. American football, though not the top sport worldwide, is undoubtedly the number one sport in this country. In some places, it is said there are only two sports seasons, football season and football offseason. The immense popularity of the sport has exponentially increased its visibility. A full day is now dedicated to the national coverage of high school hopefuls signing their letters of intent. College games are on television three to five nights a week, and even spring games where teams play against themselves in glorified two-hand tag have more than 70,000 in attendance. There is an entire channel dedicated to only NFL coverage, including every second of the NFL combine. Franchise players and key role players are known, and fans are attached to these players like never before. They know their names, colleges, 40-yard dash times, verticals, stats, but most importantly, they know their faces. In October, Forbes did a study on the 10 Most Liked Players in the NFL at the time based on their formula. Of those 10, six have been frontmen for major campaigns of other products in the last five years. Some, such as Peyton Manning, have even had the esteemed honor of hosting Saturday Night Live. Having an NFL player be the face of your marketing endeavor works.

adidas has made Robert Griffin III a face of its brand

Young up-and-coming players like Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, Ray Rice, and Collin Kaepernick are not only potentially great, all-time players, but have the marketability to reach a large population. Similar to Deion Sanders, Bo Jackson, and Emmitt Smith, these players’ fan bases are strong enough to generate interest in a signature shoe. Is Under Armour ahead of the curve by signing Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton to the most lucrative deal ever for an NFL Rookie, and giving him his very own shoe in just his second season? Or will they regret the decision in two years? Is adidas’ more cautious approach of having RG3 be the face of their football sector before providing a signature the better way to go about it? Only time will tell. Retro trainers and turf sneakers seem to have struck a chord as of late, and interest in sneakers are at an all-time high. There is no reason the popularity of the NFL cannot make its way to the world of signature models. With Nike now outfitting the NFL, the release of the Nike Zoom Revis 1, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and All-pro cornerback Darelle Revis’ first signature shoe, and Nike’s first football signature athlete since Michael Vick, we may be getting a glimpse what’s to come.

Cam Newton received the most lucrative shoe deal for an NFL Rookie in 2011