Jamal Crawford of Brandblack
A change is upon us in the shoe market.
Instead of the marquee athletes signing with the top-tier shoe companies in Nike, Adidas, Reebook, etc. stars are beginning to veer off the most popular path taken, opting to sign with the lesser known companies. The most notable players to do so are Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat who opted to not renew his contract with the Jordan Brand in order to sign with the Chinese-based company Li-Ning and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors who recently left Nike to become the centerpiece of Under Armour.
Add Los Angeles Clippers star Jamal Crawford to the fray, creating a partnership with BRANDBLACK, a Los Angeles-based brand dedicated to those individuals who compete at the highest level, and whose fashion reflects their distinctive style on and off court.
“Joining BRANDBLACK was an easy decision for me. The performance and aesthetics of the line is second to none,” said Crawford on his partnership with the brand.
“The minute I began to play in the shoes, I knew that I never wanted to wear another brand. The craftsmanship and overall design of the shoe was beyond my expectations. Being BRANDBLACK’s first global ambassador affords me an opportunity to imp ace the style of the game that I love and start my own legacy in sports apparel.”
As this is a Los Angeles Clippers-focused blog, I decided to reach out to David Raysse, the founder of BRANDBLACK, to inquire about the relationship between Crawford and see what’s in store for BRANDBLACK in regards to the company’s direction and Crawford’s impending signature shoe line.
1. What does Jamal Crawford bring to the BRANDBLACK organization?
David Raysse: First and foremost having Jamal Crawford clearly illustrates our commitment to creating performance product at the highest level. Brandblack is the fusion of fashion and performance, if the shoes don’t perform for an NBA player then they’re just fashion. Jamal is playing every night in our shoes and killing it! His style of game is the embodiment of our brand mantra, “Look good winning”.
2. When will we begin seeing a Jamal Crawford signature line?
Raysse: Jamal Crawford refers to himself as J.Crossover, look for the J.Crossover shoe in early spring 2014, after the All-star break. This is an all new product developed with his input. It’s a radical design, that’s super light, incredibly plush, and stable enough for a player who’s name is J.Crossover. It also happens to look like nothing you’ve ever seen before.
3. What sets BRANDBLACK apart from its competition and how do you plan on competing with some of the more popular brands such as Nike and Adidas?
Raysse: You can’t out-Nike Nike or Adidas, they got where they are by being true to their respective brand values. We are building shoes for a new kid that knows about fashion & culture, who doesn’t want to look like anyone else. If everyone on the court is wearing one or two brands, then our kid wants something new, that’s our competitive advantage. Its why we live by “A different way to fly”. People are always looking for what’s next, we aim to provide it for them. Beyond aesthetics our shoes perform at the highest level, functionally our shoes are on par or better than anything in the market, period! Jamal Crawford agrees, its one of the key reasons he partnered with us. We will succeed because we are creating a superior product for a specific consumer that no one else is or can offer.
4. Explain the motto “A Different Way to Fly”.
Raysse: Brandblack is dedicated to the individual, to personal style, both on and off the field of play. Our athlete is a style icon, we believe in a different way to fly”. This defines both our customer & our deign philosophy. Right now technical sport shoes are all clustered around a similar design aesthetic. We are doing something different.
For more information on BRANDBLACK visit the companies official website or instagram (@brandblackLA).