Collaborations centered on pickleball are still on the rise as the sport continues to grow in popularity with mainstream consumers, both as a spectator and especially as a participant sport. Examples range from designer- and celebrity-driven apparel collections to paddles and other gear tied to all kinds of properties, from Vlasic pickles to the musical Hamilton. One area of focus, logically, is footwear, since that is one of the most important purchases, both for pros who want to maximize performance and for casual players who simply want to be comfortable and safe while on the court with friends.
Three deals in the past few months have joined a growing list of pickleball-related licenses and collaborations in this category. Most deals have involved leading players in racket sports in general and pickleball in particular, but there is also room for new entrants:
- In August, K-Swiss paired with Matt Manasse, pro player, commentator, and “pickleball coach to the stars,” who is involved in every aspect of the sport. The multi-year deal includes both footwear and apparel, with the brand noting that Manasse was the perfect partner to cross into both the performance and lifestyle aspects of the game. Back in March, K-Swiss became the official footwear sponsor of the first Pickleball Slam, a tournament featuring tennis players John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, and Michael Chang. It outfitted the referees and ball handlers, with the apparel and footwear available for purchase as well.
- In July, Skechers, which has become a leader in the pickleball space, became the official footwear sponsor of the 2023 English Open and English Nationals Pickleball tournaments, following its February announcement of a multi-year agreement making it the official footwear sponsor of the Carvana Professional Pickleball Association Tour. Skechers’ Viper Court pickleball footwear line, launched at the 2022 U.S. Open Pickleball Championships, is promoted at these and several other pro pickleball events, along with the company’s apparel and off-court sneaker styles.
- Also in July, Marc Fisher Footwear-owned Easy Spirit partnered with fitness celebrity Denise Austin for a Dilli pickleball sneaker. In keeping with Austin’s positioning as an expert in fitness over 50—an important part of the pickleball-playing customer base—the shoe emphasizes comfort, with a shock-absorbing footbed, extra support, moisture-wicking, and breathability. While many other companies doing deals in this space have already made their mark in pickleball, this collaborative sneaker, which is part of a broader fall footwear capsule collection with Austin, marks Easy Spirit’s first foray into the pickleball arena.
Meanwhile, deals continue to come to light in categories outside footwear as well. Fila, another leading player in pickleball shoes, worked with Devereau—described as a cultural sportswear brand with a mission of bringing youthful energy to traditional sports—on a limited-edition, 16-piece collection of pickleball apparel that debuted in August. The assortment includes men’s and women’s crewnecks, polo shorts, crop tanks, shorts, graphic t-shirts, and more, all in a tropical color palette. Like many deals in the apparel and footwear categories alike, the collection encompasses both performance wear and fashion-forward off-court items.
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