Umbro and Slam Jam Unite to Reach Soccer Fans
As one of the few sports that many countries have a near-constant interest in, soccer is prized by both athletic and fashion brands alike.
The Italian street-style specialist Slam Jam is the latest to secure its ties through a new partnership with the soccer-rooted Umbro lifestyle brand for North America and select European markets. This is familiar ground for the two brands, which collaborated for the past two seasons in the Italian market.
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As the latest partner to link up with Umbro, Slam Jam designs won’t be found on the playing field. The company is Umbro’s official licensee for the T0 and T1 lifestyle segment. The multiyear partnership includes the launch of a 30-piece collaborative collection that will be sold in select stores.
The athletic-focused Umbro has a soccer heritage dating back to 1924. By the ’50s, Umbro had teamed up with leading sports authorities to create performance-oriented garments. While top-notch players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar rocketed the sport into another stratosphere, non-soccer fans are increasingly interested in the soccer look. The new alliance between Slam Jam and Umbro aims to tap into that.
Slam Jam has always taken a street-inspired stance since its early days in 1989. This month, the global collaboration debuts with the spring 2024 collection, which is being shown in Slam Jam’s showrooms in Milan and Paris. The U.S. market offers sales opportunity, considering about 25 percent of sports fans in America — 83 million people — show an interest in soccer, compared to the international average of 40 percent, according to a Sports Innovation Lab report released earlier this year.
Umbro has been stretching more into non-athletic hook-ups as of late, including a Charles Jeffrey Loverboy shoe one and a New Order shirt tie-up. Earlier this spring, the company debuted an upcycling campaign with Nova Norgaard.
Unveiling the deal with Umbro, Slam Jam founder Luca Benini noted that brand’s relevance “across multiple generations of football enthusiasts and beyond,” adding that both parties share values, as well as “a strong passion for the game and commitment to the people.”
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