San Francisco 49ers star Brock Purdy has left behind all his previous cleat manufacturers to sign a deal with his childhood favorite shoe brand, Ariat. Known for its legacy in Western and work footwear, Ariat originally made its mark with horse-riding shoes. After years of personally using their products, Purdy is now a brand ambassador for the company.
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In his introductory video for the collaboration, Purdy stated that he picked Ariat for their unwavering belief in themselves. And that’s something in sync with his own life philosophy.
He further shared his journey and a bit of wisdom about what he discovered by embracing the footwear and clothing brand, saying,
“There are always moments when you know the world starts to creep into your mind and say, ‘Hey you’re not good enough’ or ‘You don’t have what it takes.’ But it’s always come down to those fundamentals of believing in yourself, continue to work, put your head down and go get it.”
Talking about his childhood in Arizona, Purdy mentioned that he got a pair of Ariat shoes during his junior year of high school and has been a regular customer ever since. Now, he has about four pairs of boots in his closet, including the very first pair he ever bought.
Notably, the collaboration with Ariat materialized after Purdy got in touch with the brand to gift his 49ers teammates some boots for Christmas and a thank-you note to celebrate their successful 2023 season. His teammates clearly loved the goodies, as Purdy mentioned that the entire offensive squad frequently wore them on their outdoor adventures.
The company, founded by two Stanford classmates, pioneered the equestrian footwear category and has been the official partner of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports and Professional Bull Riders (PBR). They majorly work with PBR and equestrian athletes and Purdy will be the brand’s 1st NFL signing.
So, it’s quite clear why Purdy holds this collaboration very close to his heart. This news, however, came just days before the 49ers take on the Jets for their season opener, which will interestingly be a matchup against Purdy’s former college teammate.
Purdy is set to face off against college teammate
When the 49ers face the Jets in Week 1, Purdy’s defense will line up against his Iowa teammate Breece Hall. The pair played together for two seasons and they equalled the team’s best season record with 9 wins.
According to former Iowa star Mike Rose, Hall and Purdy enjoyed a good relationship and pushed each other to perform better in the field. He also highlighted the competitive nature of the relationship as ‘they were always trying to one-up each other, whether it was Madden or anything’.
Rose, Purdy, and Hall shared a room while playing for Iowa, and this Monday will mark the first time the former teammates meet on an NFL field. Having played together in college, Purdy is well-acquainted with Hall’s strengths and vice versa. It will certainly be an intriguing matchup.
However, the 49ers have an advantage in that the Jets will be traveling to the Bay Area for this showdown.
