Shaquille O’Neal is considered by many to be one of the best businessmen among former NBA players. A big piece of this success in the past has been his shoe sales with Reebok. But now, Shaq is selling his own brand of footwear, and he’s partnering with one of the most popular department store chains to get his business off the ground.
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Shaq has created a branding empire and knows how to get things done. The former center owns quite a few franchises, including Papa John’s, Krispy Kreme, and Auntie Anne’s. Shaq has also been a successful branding partner when it comes to leveraging business recognition. Since he’s such a recognizable face, putting him alongside any product is bound to boost sales.
Now, Shaq is selling his own shoes called SHAQ shoes. It was an idea that many, like Charles Barkley, mocked him for at the onset, as he mainly sold his shoes at Walmart. But it was a genius move that Shaq made. By 2023, he sold 400 million pairs.
Today, you can find SHAQ shoes available at another department store chain. This time, it’s JCPenney.
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JCPenney recently clocked in with a market cap of $40 million. It’s one of the most popular clothing outlets that you’ll find in malls across the US. That makes this a pretty solid partnership for Shaq. But this isn’t the first time he’s worked with the company.
Earlier in April, Shaq also shot a promo video for his XLG clothing line with JCPenney. The line mainly focuses on clothing for big and tall people. Which is great considering the sizes that Shaq is selling are almost impossible to find at more typical sections of a store. He’s filling a niche for a target market.
Furthermore, you can find the SHAQ shoes at other popular department stores around the US. Like Marshalls, Kohl’s, Ross, TJ Maxx, and various others.
The shoes look fairly nice as well. They sport a modern basketball look in an array of different colors and styles. There are 14 options in all. But the most important thing is that they’re affordable. Most of the shoes run from anywhere as high as $50 to as low as $10.
Shaq wanted to make sure that this line was affordable to people who don’t have access to nicer brands like Jordan or Nike. While still getting the name recognition of wearing a popular former player’s shoe. It’s a great strategy that seems to be paying off.
