Australian sneaker brand Athletikan have announced a collaboration with the AFL, delivering team-specific colourways for eight of the league's clubs.
Weeks after unveiling their signature shoe with AFL athlete Dylan Shiel, the brand has gone one step further, announcing a collaboration with the AFL itself.
Based around their ‘ALTIS’ model, this collaboration sees the brand’s model decked out in the colours of eight AFL teams: Collingwood, Richmond, Carlton, Port Adelaide, Essendon, St Kilda, Melbourne, and Adelaide.
Speaking to Sporting News Australia, Athletikan director and co-founder Joe Tamburrino said that the aim of collaboration was to widen the Australian sneaker industry, and provide AFL fans with an opportunity to interact with their teams in ways they hadn’t before.
“Fans haven't really had the chance to buy their favorite team's sneaker before. Although a lot of other merch options have been available, sneakers have never been one that have ever really been present,” Tamburrino said.
“To offer fans a chance to buy their favorite team sneakers, obviously a bit more discreet versus some of the other merch, I think it's a really cool product for fans to be able to buy.”
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While the deal is initially only eight teams - an attempt to project who would be playing finals football - the brand is hopeful that they will be able to expand its deal with the league and eventually cover off all 18.
“We're starting with eight. Obviously, most of those teams are going to be the teams that are playing finals. It was essentially just the teams that were there or thereabout to play finals,” Tamburrino said.
“We had to be in the works for months… there was a little bit of early guesswork in terms of those teams were going to be, but they're all there or thereabout, which is fantastic.”
According to Tamburrino, the initial deal that Athletikan had with Dylan Shiel was essential in launching their AFL collaboration, as it helped introduce the market to who they are as a brand.
“AFL is the biggest sport in Melbourne, so we wanted to align ourselves with some AFL talent. We've had a lot of AFL talent wear the product before and promote the brand before. But we wanted to take things up a notch and I suppose collaborate with an athlete who could have the first ever AFL custom sneaker,” Tamburrino said.
“Dylan was just a great fit, great guy. He was keen to get involved. He's seen the brand before and he was awesome and just really had a big input on design and just got it.
“That was how it came about. Then from there, it was just obviously going through the design process with him, which options he liked, any changes, et cetera, and then obviously getting it to market.
“Dylan obviously generated a lot of eyeballs and the collaboration was super successful. Then to follow up that with the AFL license with the limited edition sneakers, it's all worked out really nicely.
“Then obviously, as well, all the eyeballs we received from Dylan, they've seen the AFL side of it, and then to then follow through with the license now is really cool.”
The AFL x Athletikan Edition 01 collection is now open for VIP Access, and officially releases on August 23, on the Athletikan website.
