Francisco Lindor's new signature baseball cleat. Source: @NB_Baseball (Twitter)
The NBA's sneaker culture has helped drive a multi-billion dollar industry while simultaneously bringing players and fans closer than ever before.
What's happening: Some companies are putting in the work to find out if those same principles can apply to other sports.
- Just Dishin, an online apparel store, produces "skins" to transform standard hockey skates into custom designs. They also worked with an artist to produce the Air Jordan 1 skate pictured below. It's not for sale, but gets people talking about what's possible.
- New Balance made Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor just the third MLB player with a signature cleat (above), joining Bryce Harper and Mike Trout. The effervescent superstar is among the select few players who could reach cross-cultural relevance a la Ken Griffey Jr., whose classic Swingman shoe is still making waves in 2021.
The backdrop: Since the Air Jordan debuted in 1984, NBA shoe deals have gone from rarity to something approaching ubiquity.
- More recently, online marketplaces like StockX ($2.8 billion) and GOAT ($1.75 billion) have realized enormous valuations.
- While that's hardly on the strength of basketball shoes alone, they still rule the roost when it comes to sport-specific footwear.
The big picture: The reason for this isn't hard to discern, as basketball — with its bevy of marketable stars — combines popularity (sport), visibility (athlete) and functionality (shoe) far better than its counterparts.
- Football is insanely popular, but its athletes are hidden behind helmets; baseball players are visible, but rarely double as marketable; and hockey trails the other major sports in all three categories.
- Plus, unlike basketball shoes, cleats and skates aren't useful in everyday life.
Go deeper: Air Jordan on ice? (The Athletic)