Colin Kaepernick's Nike Sneakers Sell Out in Minutes
Colin Kaepernick is still turning a profit.
Just weeks after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league has “moved on” from the controversial quarterback — who has been a free agent since opting out of his NFL contract with his former team in 2017 — Kaepernick’s new Nike Air Force 1 sneakers sold out within minutes of being released.
The $110 black leather sneakers feature a white platform sole, the brand’s signature swoosh logo, Kaepernick’s “K” logo on the tongue and the former San Francisco 49ers recognizable image on the heels.
According to CNN, the numbers “08 14 16” (signifying the date Kaepernick took a knee during the National Anthem for the first time ever) appear on the sole of the right shoe.
Nike has yet to release the sales figures, but the shoes are currently unavailable on nike.com.
Kaepernick promoted his new project on Instagram earlier this week, writing, “The Colin Kaepernick x Nike Air Force 1 drops worldwide today. Link in bio. #TrueTo7,” alongside a photo of the shoes, which are inspired by “the voice of [Kaepernick] and his True to 7 storytelling,” according to Nike.
Last year, the Super Bowl quarterback, 30, became the face of Nike’s 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign. “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything,” reads the ad that was shared on Instagram and Twitter.
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The 2-minute “Dream Crazy” ad later received the award for outstanding commercial at the Creative Arts Emmys.
In the commercial, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, 31, narrates an inspiring message about the power of dreaming big and encourages fans to “believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”
His monologue not only references the #TakeaKnee movement he spearheaded in 2016 but also honors other legendary athletes who have overcome career challenges, including NBA star LeBron James, tennis great Serena Williams U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team and other incredible athletes who have defied the odds.
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The Nike ad marked Kaepernick’s first spokesperson gig for the company in over two years and comes despite Nike being the NFL’s official uniform sponsor.
Kaepernick, who has been a Nike athlete since 2011, made headlines in August 2016 when he declined to stand for the anthem when it was played before games. Instead of standing, he kneeled to protest racial injustice and police brutality.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said at the time. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
