Nike released a new Colin Kaepernick shoe on Monday, December 23, 2019 and the product sold out over a period of minutes.
The shoes, which featured the iconic former NFL quarterback’s face, are no longer available for purchase.
The company did not release sales figures to the public.
Kaepernick also tweeted about the shoes — called the Nike Air Force 1 x Colin Kaepernick — on Monday.
Kaepernick promoted his new project on Instagram earlier this week, writing, “The Colin Kaepernick x Nike Air Force 1 drops worldwide today. Link in bio. #TrueTo7,” alongside a photo of the shoes, which are inspired by “the voice of [Kaepernick] and his True to 7 storytelling,” according to Nike.
The company released the sneaker to select retailers, according to the report.
In a statement, Nike said that they collaborated with Kapernick to create a design that “connects” to his “life personality.”
“This Air Force 1 season, Nike partnered with a collective of collaborators to design an AF1 that connects to their life personally,” the statement, obtained by CBS, read. “Colin was identified because we believe his voice and perspective inspire many generations on and off the field.”
CNN reported that the sneakers came with a “not-so-subtle” message.
The message? The date, “08 14 16,” which is emblazoned on the sole of the right shoe.
A spokesperson for the company told CNN that the date is significant because it is the first time Kaepernick refused to stand during the playing of the national anthem.
The CNN report read, “The date marks the first time Kaepernick didn’t stand during the playing of the national anthem, during a preseason game between the Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers. He sat on the bench during the performance before that game, and first knelt during the national anthem on September 1, 2016.”
After the 2016-17 season, Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers, but no team chose to sign him and he hasn’t played professional football since then. Kaepernick recently wore the shoes during his workout for NFL teams in November.
