Nike is about to unveil its new Colin Kaepernick branded shoe just in time for Christmas, according to reports.
The new shoe is set to roll out in December for the 2019 Christmas season, Yahoo News reported on Thursday.
Nike introduced a Kaepernick “Icon” jersey last year and reported selling out of the item almost immediately. The “Icon” jersey sold for $150 apiece when introduced in 2018.
Nike never did report just how many jerseys were part of the original run. Similarly, the sportswear maker will not say how many Kaepernick shoes will hit the market next month.
Kaepernick’s close friend, Carolina Panthers player Eric Reid, recently posted a photo apparently showing the new shoe design.
Despite signing the extremely controversial player to an endorsement deal, Nike has added $26.2 billion to the company’s net worth and valuing the company at nearly $146 billion. The hike in profits demolished the notion that signing Kaepernick would cause the company’s fortunes to collapse. The company’s growth is not tied solely to the inclusion of Kaepernick, granted, but the profits did help knock down the claims that Kaepernick would drag the company down.
Kaepernick recently flexed his muscle in the company. The player plied his influence over Nike to scuttle a patriotic product that the shoemaker was going to unveil ahead of the Independence Day Holiday this year. Kaepernick attacked a planned American flag-themed shoe saying that the Betsy Ross flag that was to be featured on the shoe was somehow “tied” to slavery.
The flag was originally designed by Betsy Ross in the mid-to-late-1770’s after a request by George Washington, who asked her to come up with a design for the new nation’s flag. But the flag never had any direct ties to slavery, despite Kaepernick’s proclamation.
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