Nike today pulled the rainbow wraps off its 2020 BeTrue collection of Pride gear, as well as Pride-themed Chucks and other footwear by Converse, and Outsports readers are getting a sneak peek weeks before the merchandise goes on sale.
And Nike isn’t alone. Reebok, Adidas and other brands also want your green and your plastic. But at least Nike is giving back for every dollar consumers spend on its rainbow gear.
The brand known for its distinctive “swoosh” logo said it’s supporting “more than 20 organizations advancing the LGBTQIA+ community with grants administered by the Charities Aid Foundation of America,” according to a news release.
“The organizations range from local to national with a focus on advocacy in sports, creating safe spaces and elevating the history of the community,” Nike said. “They include the LGBT Center of Los Angeles, Portland Frontrunners, GLBT Historical Society Museum, Campus Pride and You Can Play.” The GenderCool Project and Gilbert Baker Foundation are also recipients of Nike grants.
Nike says its BeTrue 2020 collection is all about “the Power of the Team,” with its Air Force 1 ($120) and the Air Max 2090 ($150) serving as anchors, past and present. Nike says the AM 2090 is designed as a colorful “celebration of unity in times of uncertainty.” And its iconic AF1 is a “reflection of performance art, blending traditional details with the shoe’s silhouette in homage to underground ballroom culture, an expression of team sport.”
These running shoes feature translucent and iridescent finishes, offering a new look that incorporates the rainbow seen in the “More Colors, More Pride” flag, which debuted in Philadelphia in 2017. As an example, the AF1 carries a ten-color heel mark, which Nike says is “inclusive of a spectrum of voices.”
Nike’s release to the media explains what each color represents:
Black: POC Inclusivity
Brown: POC Inclusivity
Pink: Trans Inclusivity
Red: Life
Orange: Healing
Yellow: Sunlight
Green: Nature
Baby Blue: Trans Inclusivity
Blue: Serenity
Violet: Spirit
The Nike ACG Air Deschutz is also part of the BeTrue Collection.
Everything in the collection is gender neutral, according to Nike. The 2020 BeTrue collection launches June 5th in China, and June 19th globally on Nike.com, SNKRS and stores worldwide.
Find out more about Nike and Converse Pride gear by clicking here for Nike and click here for the Converse collection, like the Pride Chuck Taylor All Star, below ($65).
As Alex Reimer reports, Puma is celebrating Pride Month with a colorful collection of rainbow-themed wear, from tank tops to fanny packs. But the global sports company is taking its support beyond slogans and hashtags. PUMA is pledging to donate a portion of its proceeds to LGBT charities, which will deliver positive change to our community far beyond June.
This month, PUMA launched its “From PUMA With Love” pack to commemorate Pride Month. The 13-piece pack includes colorful graphic tees and hoodies, flip-flops and more — most of which are also decorated with the brand’ signature bobcat logo. To help spread the message, PUMA is teaming up with longtime ambassador and LGBT activist Cara Delevingne.
Items in the collection range from $20 — $45 with 20 perfect of the proceeds donated to The Cara Delevingne Foundation, a project of the Giving Back Fund, in support of LGBT organizations such as GLAAD, The Trevor Project and Mind Out. Earlier this year, PUMA announced a $1 million partnership with The Trevor Project to foster inclusive environments for young LGBT athletes.
All items can be purchased on Puma.com. Read more about Puma’s collection and its campaign by clicking here.
Reebok’s 2020 Pride collection offers 20 products aimed at Pride consumers.
Reebok is donating $75K to the It Gets Better Project, the global LGBTQ outreach program aimed at empowering and connecting LGBTQ youth around the world. It also launched a campaign called “All Types of Love” and a video titled “Pride Notes” featuring Twiggy, a choreographer, Wazina, an educator, Dylan, an artist, Nali, a dancer, and June, a model.
Not to be outdone by Reebok, the Adidas brand offers 22 Pride products, including its NMD_R1 Pride Shoes, which retail for $130.
Under Armour is offering not only Pride products but financial grants to people in two very hard-hit communities.
“Our goal is to use our platform to help support the work non-profits are doing in the community,” said Perry Williams, senior manager of commercial optimization and former co-chair of Unified, which is UA’s LGBTQ+ Teammate Resource Group.
The UA Pride Grant Program is aimed at alleviating financial hardships related to the pandemic that have fallen upon non-profits whose work directly impacts the LGBTQ communty, according to a Under Armour spokesperson. Those efforts are focused on Baltimore, Md., and Austin, Texas.
“In the past, we’ve worked with organizations like The Pride Center of Maryland, our local LGBTQ resource center, Athlete Ally and Stonewall Sports,” Williams told forbes.com “This year, we created the UA PRIDE Grant to support other local LGBTQ groups who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
New for 2020, Under Armour is selling is the HOVR Phantom 1 Slip, which a spokesperson said was designed with the original Pride flag in mind. Members of Unified collaborated with designers in every step of the creation process.
The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people, announced this week it’s getting into the Pride product business with its “Product Partners for Pride.”
This isn’t even the full list: Abercrombie & Fitch, Bliss, Chubbies, Dolce Vita, Dr. Martens, Forever 21, Happy Socks x The Phluid Project, Harry’s, Kate Spade, Kiehl’s, Macy’s, ModCloth, PUMA, WetBrush, Williams Sonoma, West Elm and Pottery Barn. Each of these companies and their products are raising money directly to support the Trevor Project’s 24/7 suicide prevention and crisis services for LGBTQ young people.
If you’re interested, click here to shop the Product Partners for Pride on the Trevor Project’s website.
Also new this week, the non-profit launched what it’s calling the “Pride Everywhere” movement, and recruited pop singer Demi Lovato to narrated a video for its launch.
New Balance, Old Navy and The Gap plus Levis also offer Pride products this year. As always, consider what a corporation selling you the rainbow is doing for our community before you become their walking advertisement! Happy Pride shopping!
