Step aside Le Bron James, Rich Paul is coming for your sneaker design crown

 Sports stars are no strangers to collaborating with big sneaker brands. America's top hoop shooter LeBron James has an ongoing Nike partnership, which has seen the creation of 18 unique sneakers as well as custom Air Force 1s, while Serena Williams marked her return to Wimbledon in July 2018 with a Nike sneaker — the Air Force 1 Strong — designed by her, for her. What's rarely seen (if ever) is a partnership between a gigantic, world-renowned sneaker label and the people working behind the scenes of the sports industry, propelling those aforementioned names to fame and glory. 



But that's exactly what's happened over at New Balance. The American sports company has, in a pretty random move, scooped Rich Paul for its latest collaborative project. The likelihood is you aren't familiar with Rich Paul and TBH we wouldn't blame you (although if you're a fan of Adele you might know him as her boyfriend). 

Rich Paul is one of the key people propping up the American basketball industry as the founder of Cleveland-based sports agency Klutch Sports Group. One of the world's leading sports representatives, he has been active in securing sponsorships for the likes of LeBron James, Scottie Lewis, Ben Simmons and John Wall, amassing over $1 billion in deals and keeping the industry, and its players, afloat. His business is so successful that it now rivals the biggest agencies in the game — Aaron Mintz's Creative Artists Agency and Jeff Schwartz's Excel Sports Management.

For his surprising New Balance collaboration 40-year old Paul has worked on the 550 silhouette, an OG basketball shoe that launched in 1989. While in recent years it has been picked up by hip and happening brands Aimé Leon Dore and Auralee, Paul's 550 is exceptionally impressive. The sexy sneaks come in a deliciously minimal "Raw Cashew" colourway, while the original structural details (chunky flat-form sole and thick lacing) remain. Meanwhile, luxurious pebbled leather, which is often used on basketball kicks, adorns the upper, and "Eclipse" blue, brown, and gold hits give the trainers flavour. In addition, there's a buttery courtside-worthy tracksuit with “Rich Paul for New Balance” branding on offer. Chic.

But there's more to the sneaks, which go on sale on 10 December, than meets the eye. The collaboration is deep-rooted in Paul and New Balance's shared belief that success shouldn't begin and end on the court. In a statement Paul said: “growing up, we had few examples of what success could look like off the court. When New Balance approached me about a collaboration, more than anything, I wanted to create something to inspire and empower young people coming up behind us — for boys and girls with creativity, passion and fearless determination to stay true to themselves.”

New Balance's chief marketing officer Chris Davis said: “Rich is an individual who carves his own path and is an example for the next generation. Rich’s personal and career journey is one that has truly defied convention."

Up next? We wouldn't be surprised if BTS footy agent and transfer god Pini Zahavi gets his own NB deal.


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