Did Bo Jackson Have his Own Shoe?
Did Bo Jackson Have his Own Shoe?
By Edcel Panganiban July 22, 2024 03:44
One of the most incredible athletes seen in a generation, Bo Jackson, born Vincent Edward Jackson, was a true athletic phenom. He was a two-sport All-American in baseball and an All-Pro running back. In his era, Jackson was as marketable an athlete as he was, with incredible physical skills and crossover appeal.
Jackson was picked by the Los Angeles Raiders in the first round of the 1986 NFL Draft after a standout college football career at Auburn University, which included winning an NCAA Heisman Trophy. Jackson then inked a professional baseball deal with the Kansas City Royals, beginning his one-of-a-kind dual-sport career. Jackson was a rare blend of size, speed, and power that allowed him to dominate the gridiron and baseball fields.
The "Bo Knows" Phenomenon
Nike entered into a big contract with Bo Jackson in 1986, when Nike realized his potential as an International sports star. That union between Nike and Jackson would be best exemplified by one of the most legendary marketing campaigns in sports history: "Bo Knows."
Jackson's 1989 "Bo Knows" campaign demonstrated his athletic prowess across several sports, including football, baseball, tennis, and golf. The campaign was hugely successful, making Bo Jackson the rarest Nike endorser to reach superstardom and one of his most lasting associations with the brand.
Bo Jackson's Signature Shoes
Bo Jackson, then the face of Nike marketing, received a shoe deal from the company that never produced an actual signature model that hit retail shelves. Nonetheless, a few of the most iconic Nike sneaker models have been closely linked to his sporting success and public image.
The Nike Air Trainer SC
The most iconic of those shoes was the Nike Air Trainer SC, first released in 1988 alongside Bo Jackson's signature campaign. With plastic eyelets, a forefoot strap, and a visible Air unit in the heel that reinforced Jackson's fast-cutting playing style from all angles, the training shoe redefined how athletes moved with strike-through color blocking similar to what could be found in package design. The shoe was prominently featured in the Bo Knows marketing campaign and became one of Jackson's signature shoes for both off-the-field casual wear and more general cross-training.
The Nike Air Trainer SC II
The next year, 1989, saw the Air Trainer SC II as a performance fighter that improved on the award-winning design of its originator. The SC II featured updates to the shoe that increased performance-oriented features such as a neoprene bootie and removable midfoot strap. It's not a signature model, but the Air Trainer SC II was heavily connected to Bo Jackson and his multifaceted exploits in football and on the diamond.
The Nike Air Trainer Max '91
The last of the Bo Jackson-endorsed Air Trainers was also the final shoe in that line for the 1991 released Air Trainer Max '91. The Nike-branded nylon cross straps that extended over the leather and mesh uppers made this model stand out. The Air Trainer Max '91 was not an official signature shoe. However, it played heavily in ads promoting Jackson's athletic career, which is literally a career with Nike.
The Lost Bo Jackson Signature Shoe
Bo Jackson still needs to get a legit Nike signature shoe model to hang his hat on. The brand only touched on this when they released a shoe for Bo Jackson called Nike Air Bo Turf. Released in 1990, this was near it, but it did not quite feature him or his logo.
Bo Jackson Signature Footwear Legacy
Bo Jackson may not have gotten his signature shoe model, but he was influential in athletic sneakers on a level reserved for only one man.
The wildly successful "Bo Knows" marketing campaign, which promoted Jackson as being so athletic and talented in pretty much any sport, also solidified him as a pop culture icon while simultaneously boosting Nike's fortunes. Though he never got his own true signature model, there's no arguing the impact Bo Jackson had on athletic footwear or that his legacy ranks him as one of history's best dual-sport athletes.
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