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How Students Are Reacting to Adidas's New HBCU Release
By: BL Harewood
Last weekend, on Sept. 27, leading footwear brand Adidas released player-exclusive basketball shoes for five select HBCUs. The “HBCU Crazy 8 Low” sneaker, the initial signature shoe of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, has graced the hardwood for the first time in over 25 years since the original release of the Crazy 8 in 1997.
The respective universities featured are Alcorn State, Alabama State, Grambling State, Prairie View A&M, and Arkansas Pine-Bluff, all being members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, better known as the SWAC.
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Marquis Godwin, a graduate assistant for the Hampton Pirates men’s basketball team, felt the news was “uplifting.” He appreciated Adidas for being thoughtful of HBCU basketball and culture due to the purpose and thought put behind the retro release of Kobe’s Crazy 8 (KB8) sneaker.
“As a collegiate athlete, everything is based on experience, [and] the Crazy 8 is [something people] will cherish,” said Godwin. “HBCUs are not always fortunate [enough] to receive nice products like Power 5 schools, so when someone is considerate [in] changing that narrative, they are greatly appreciated.”
If Hampton was presented with an exclusive shoe release or custom colorway, the former HU hooper thinks it would be monumental. “My reaction would be ‘finally,’ he said. “Being the prestigious school we are, adding this would attract more recruits and make our current athletes feel special.”
Ultimately, Adidas’ exclusive sneaker collection with HBCUs boosts visibility according to Paige Williams II, a second-year marketing major from Detroit, MI. “It connects their athletic programs with a global brand and the partnership increases marketability by attracting more students, athletes as well as sponsorships.”
In order for Hampton and similar schools to leverage such opportunities, Williams says they must build strong, competitive athletic programs that ‘actively promote their athletes’ success.’ Through maintaining excellence and establishing strategic marketing plans, he believes HBCUs overall can better negotiate brand-enhancing deals that create more opportunities for their student-athletes.
In her article The Time is Now: Marketing HBCU Sports to Black Consumers, Dr. Kristal McGreggor asserts that HBCU athletic departments ‘now more than ever should be strategic with marketing the cultural attributes of HBCU sports.’
A Hampton alum and former Director of Track Operations (2012-2015), McGreggor declares that decisions such as moving to non-HBCU conferences “expose the laziness in marketing the HBCU brand in their respective athletic programs.” She wonders when HBCUs will start creating effective and innovative marketing strategies that focus on promoting our culture.
“I believe the time is now for HBCU athletic directors to invest in marketing and be willing to adapt to changes in society and do things differently,” she said.
Coressa Morgan, Hampton’s Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Marketing and Fan Engagement, sees potential in Hampton's current Under Armour partnership. For the “promotional advancement of the basketball program,” she believes conversations surrounding exclusive gear can be discussed and negotiated.
“When they are involved in the marketing process, I believe that these deals are great for boosting programs,” said Morgan, a former ticket sales coordinator for the Detroit Pistons. “I think opportunities to collaborate on training clinics and camps hosted by Under Armour would [also] be great.”
Xzavier Long, a senior transfer from Canisius University is glad about the retro release and the fact that it was essentially gifted to the five HBCUs. “In terms of brand marketing, it is a big deal,” he says. “I think it's something good for HBCUs altogether.”
“I feel like that would be crazy if [Hampton] had our own shoe. I know I would definitely rock it—my whole team would rock it,” said Long. “We need that promotion, that new swag; I feel like that’s the only thing we’re missing as a team right now.”