Nike next month will roll out the signature shoe that was a "centerpiece" of the multiyear endorsement deal that Colin Kaepernick signed in '18, according to sources cited by Charles Robinson of YAHOO SPORTS. Sources said that Nike is "expecting a nationwide release of his shoe early next month as it continues to develop the company's endorsement strategy around Kaepernick." Sources "declined to say how many Kaepernick shoes Nike would release but the projected demand has been strong enough that the apparel giant ramped up production figures during the course of development." Images of the shoe have "leaked in recent days, with Kaepernick appearing to wear a pair of them while stretching" at his workout last weekend. Though Nike's initial endorsement of Kaepernick sparked a "shuddering divide among consumers," the "proclamations of doom for the company have been sorely mistaken, as Nike's sales figures boomed in the ensuing months after the deal." Nike stock is up 18% since the deal was announced (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 11/21).
