The concept of “Sportfashion”…what athletes and coaches wear coming off the bus, going home, in warmups etc and how it ties to popular culture has never been stronger, and that includes footwear. The styling kicks, boots, shoes have always had their place, but when empowered by the big lens of media, traditional and social, and the amplification of leagues and teams, it gets even bigger. Such is the expansion of the NFL and “My Cause, My Cleats” which brings its two week showcase for players and coaches to an end this weekend. For those who don’t know, it started as a simple way for players to tell their story a few seasons ago, one which drew the ire of the NFL as a uniform violation, but one which has grown to be much more of a platform as players continue to find more of a social voice and express themselves in a positive and unifying manner for reasons beyond the game.
Beginning last week, the NFL again allowed hundreds of players and coaches to use their cleats as a form of expression for charitable causes as part of #MyCauseMyCleats. This years initiative saw the NFL partnering with Rayze to create an additional fundraising option for players and their 501c3 non-profit organizations of choice, with 100% of donations going directly to the organization(s) of choice. All players have the option to donate their cleats to NFL Auction where you can make their custom cleats yours. All proceeds from sales go to the respective causes selected by players.
then there was also an expansion into partnerships, specifically through the NFL’s Amazon relationship. NFL stars Josh Allen of the Bills, Maxx Crosby of the Raiders, and DK Metcalf of the Seahawks used AWS generative AI to design their cause-focused cleats – and it gave fans the ability to do the same. There are unboxing events, fan participation stories and it keeps getting better and better. Every team has players, and many have coaches, participate for charities and as a call to action big and small. Some pushed their own foundation; others looked to bigger causes like social injustice and mental health. In all, by being out in front and proactive with the players for an extended period of at least three weeks, the league and the players continue to unlock a best practice that can be replicated throughout sport as a mosaic of social good. The campaign was another opportunity for players to give time and effort on a national stage for the events and the people they support. The full list can be seen here.
More than 30% of players have chosen to support various forms of cancer and other physical health related causes, while nearly 20% have selected topics related to youth and education, according to the NFL.
The picture gallery is quite the mosaic, as a host of players work hard to gain visibility with a number of colors and styles, some working closely with the shoe companies to drive optimal exposure. Those with a well-orchestrated social media campaign and footprint do even better to the call to action, and the team and league support for the initiative drove much more media attention than a one off effort by a player with mixed results. .
At its generic best the opportunity again showed how a league can stray from the uniformity of uniforms and put charity on the forefront. While there cannot be abuse or even control by the sneaker companies, the ability to drive awareness for causes and the dedication of athlete’s shows that there is more than a one off opportunity here and this is something that could gain ground across sports and around the world as a call to action for issues big and small.
#MyCauseMyCleats is a great call to cause, with each player given their chance to share a story with the shoes. Its impact, especially in a season where social activation has become a lightning rod for controversy, should not be understated, and its value is probably still growing with subsequent actions and other fundraising events tied to the shoes.
With the sneakerhead culture still roaring along, one would think there is an NBA and NCAA play here soon as well, maybe around All-Star.
Credit should go where credit is due, and giving players the chance to do theirs with their kicks is more than worthwhile.
