Deion Sanders Hints At Possible TAFT Collaboration
You don’t often think of a famous athlete or professional sports player and associate them with anything but their sport. But sports industry giants such as Shaquille O’Neal opening fast food chain and the late Kobe Bryant winning an Oscar for his filmography have proven they are not to be pigeonholed into one specific categorical box or title. When athletes typically collaborate with a retail brand, the brand is sportswear and athleisure wear based in their product assortment (i.e. Adidas, Nike, etc.). But a possible collaboration between Deion Sanders and Taft has potential to redefine the quintessential athlete-brand partnership.
Deion “Prime Time” Sanders is a legendary former professional football and baseball player and currently a football coach, who is no amateur when it comes to fashion statements. Sanders notably sported a bandana on the field as a professional football player; his daring, dynamic clothing choices continued off the field as well in the form of custom made suiting and eye-catching jewelry. Taft has made waves in the fashion industry due to the distinctive nature of its designs, a strong ethos of originality, and above all their commitment to craftsmanship. Between Sanders’ prior interest in fashion as a form of expression and Taft’s undeniable expertise in excellence and style, it seems to make perfect sense as to why the respective parties would explore the idea of a collaboration.
Rumors of possible collaboration began to circulate after Sanders excitedly took to his Instagram to share a customized gift he’d received from Taft with his more than 4.8 million followers. His admiration towards the brand was evident as he unboxed the customized sneakers stating, “I love Taft, I love this brand! I love how they do shoes, how they make shoes!” The footwear brand added fuel to the fire via their official Instagram account commenting, “Glad you like the shoes Coach.”
A potential partnership between a sports giant such as Deion Sanders and a renowned brand like Taft carries a multitude of impact within the sports and fashion industries. Not only can this open the floodgates for future collaborations between athletes and fashion brands, it also has potential to interest people who are interested in fashion footwear and sports fans who are “sneakerheads.” A “PRIME Line” would be a mutually beneficial and lucrative partnership for each party, as both parties have an opportunity to reach a new target audience as well as redefine how sports and fashion are intertwined. Deion Sanders’ Instagram post has received more than 7,000 likes and more than 250,000 views, as fans wait with anticipation for official confirmation and more details about the potential partnership.