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Jaylen Brown, the NBA star who helped lead the Boston Celtics to a championship win last season, is launching his own footwear company instead of signing a deal with an established sneaker brand.
Why It Hits: Signing an endorsement deal with one of the major athletic shoe labels, like Nike, Adidas, or Puma, is seen as the pinnacle of brand deals. With Brown striking out on his own, more pro athletes may start to embrace that they have the access and reach to be more entrepreneurial.
Between the Lines: Jaylen Brown’s issues with established sneaker brands (especially Nike) are well-documented. So, he’s putting his money where his foot is.
- Brown is launching 741 on October 22nd at select retailers, and he’s already hyping his signature shoe by wearing them during offseason training.
- He’s making affordability a major aspect of the brand, saying that his shoes will cost 40% less than those of competitors… well, at least when it comes to kids’ sizes.
Closing Thoughts: According to Complex, Brown has allegedly turned down $50 million in endorsement deals from the major shoe brands, so this is very much about ownership and building something rather than money. Brown says that he was also inspired by Kobe Bryant, who was thinking of launching his own brand before passing. If 741 takes off, expect a lot more athletes to follow his lead… and shake up the sneaker industry in the process.
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