Baller Alert Entertainment & Lifestyle
Colin Kaepernick’s new black-and-white shoe priced at $110, sold out on the first day of its North American release, according to Nike’s official website.
A Nike Spokesperson spoke on their collaboration with Kaepernick stating, “This Air Force 1 season, Nike partnered with a collective of collaborators to design an AF1 that connects to their life personally. Colin was identified because we believe his voice and perspective inspire many generations on and off the field.”
The popular shoe showcases an embroidered portrait of Kaepernick on the heel tab, a reflective Swoosh, and his personal logo on the tongue, according to NBC News.
The release selling out and becoming successful in such a short amount of time, suggests that Nike collaborating with the controversial NFL player is working out in both parties favor.
Many may recall, earlier this year, Nike cut the release of its “Betsy Ross” American flag shoe, following Kaepernick’s reported criticism of the shoe, making connections to a period of slavery and white supremacy.
Nike’s support for Kaepernick isn’t new as the brand included the ex-San Francisco 49er star as one of the faces of the company’s 30th anniversary of the “Just Do It” ad campaign. While many were against the partnership and even went as far as to start an online #BoycottNike trending topic on Twitter, the love outweighed the hate in that situation as sales skyrocketed after the ad’s release. The commercial was also received positively, gaining critical acclaim and even winning an Emmy for outstanding commercial, which was the first time since 2002.
