The NFL may have moved on from Colin Kaepernick, but Nike certainly hasn’t.
Kaepernick's new signature shoe, a black-and-white design featuring the former pro quarterback's image, sold out in less than a day, according to CNBC.
The Air Force 1 '07 x Colin Kaepernick was sold out in adult and children’s sizes by Tuesday morning, a company spokesperson said. The shoe was selling for $110.
It features Kaepernick’s image on the heel and the numbers 08 14 16 on the outsole. Those numbers represent the date Kaepernick began kneeling for the national anthem, initially protesting alleged police brutality against minorities.
“As a football star with the ability to articulate a powerful message, Kaepernick is one of this generation’s most prominent crossover cultural influencers,” a description of the Nike shoe reads.
After leading the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance early in his career, Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since becoming a free agent in 2017. He was set to participate in a league-arranged workout earlier this month at the Atlanta Falcons’ complex but changed the venue at the last minute when his representatives and the NFL could not agree on certain stipulations.
Instead, Kaepernick held a sparsely attended workout at a south metro Atlanta high school.
During a recent NFL owners meeting, Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league has "moved on" from the controversial quarterback.
“This was ... about creating an opportunity, which Colin's representatives came out in early October and we created that opportunity. It was a unique opportunity — an incredible opportunity and he chose not to take it. I understand that. And we've moved on here,” Goodell said at the owners meetings in Irving, Texas.
No teams have contacted Kaepernick about his availability.
Earlier this year, Nike was set to release a special edition, 4th of July Betsy Ross flag shoe. Kaepernick objected, arguing the early American flag represented slavery and oppression.
Nike subsequently pulled the shoe, creating a fierce backlash.
Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh created a line of "Stand Up For Betsy Ross" T-shirts that has raised millions of dollars for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
Kaepernick’s latest shoe is part of a branding deal with Nike, which already has released a black jersey featuring his No. 7 and his last name on the nameplate.
