As the fashion and streetwear culture movements continue to rise in women’s basketball, it’s only fitting for sneaker/streetwear retailer SNIPES to support the New York Liberty – one of our home teams and a charter member of the Women’s National Basketball Association – to help highlight the players and their pregame looks. This official partnership will provide the Liberty players with a platform to showcase their fits and give a new meaning to the term “tunnel vision”. Many have acknowledged the potential opportunities for fashion brands in women’s pro basketball as athletes like Sue Bird and Skylar Diggins-Smith have made a name for themselves with their style choices, leading to major endorsement deals from top sportswear brands like Nike and PUMA. Diggins-Smith of the Phoenix Mercury is also credited with creating her own fanbase known as “Headband Nation” after fans began to take notice of the 5-time All-Star’s signature tie headband during her college days at Notre Dame. Other fashion-forward stars, like the recently retired Tamera “Ty” Young who attended New York Liberty games as a child, put more of a focus on their footwear over the course of their WNBA career. The 12-year league veteran built up a massive sneaker collection featuring over 500 pairs, including signed game-worn shoes from basketball legends like Elena Delle Donne, Maya Moore, and Dwyane Wade, just to name a few. Although WNBA athletes have influenced style long before the cultural push for streetwear and sneakers, we hope to continue the upward trend with a spotlight on the Liberty’s pregame walk-ins at the nation’s fashion capital.
This SNIPES partnership is designed not only to spotlight the New York Liberty players but to empower young athletes in the community at training camps, tournaments, and other events as well through a fashion lens. We also plan to present all pregame player arrival content throughout the season and feature a SNIPES branded backdrop while the players are serving looks on their way to the locker room. With the Liberty playing their home games at the Barclays Center and our flagship SNIPES 2.0 store positioned directly outside, these two New York powerhouses are well prepared for a Flatbush Avenue takeover. SNIPES USA President Jim Bojko, a firm believer in maintaining a local presence in the communities that we serve, mentioned that “As a founding WNBA team, the New York Liberty are deeply ingrained in our community and have been a constant force for good – we couldn’t be more excited to join forces.” SNIPES is extremely proud to provide publicity for the New York Liberty players, (and their mascot, Ellie the Elephant), as our first women’s sports partner and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for us at this intersection of sports and fashion. For the latest news and sneaker/streetwear releases, follow us on our Instagram, read up on our blog posts, and download the mobile app to stay up to date on everything SNIPES.
