Marvin Harrison Jr. and New Balance Break Ground in Football Footwear
Marvin Harrison Jr. is set to make history with the debut of the first-ever football cleats designed by New Balance. This moment marks a significant leap for the brand, known predominantly for their premier running shoes and athletic wear.
Harrison inked a deal with New Balance earlier this offseason, and anticipation surrounds his debut in the new Prodigy cleats—a gold and white low-top designed specifically for skill players. Since its inception in 2020, New Balance’s football cleat project has aimed to blend best-in-class craftsmanship with cutting-edge innovation.
“Our first conversations about stepping onto the gridiron kicked off in 2020,” New Balance shared on their website. “The goal—making the best-fitting, most comfortable cleat in the game—was simple. Getting there was not.”
Indeed, creating the perfect football cleat has been no small feat. Chase Young and Will Anderson Jr. played pivotal roles in testing prototype designs at New Balance’s Sports Research Lab. Their wear-testing and feedback were indispensable throughout the development process.
“We focused on an intelligent approach to product creation that combined our history of best-in-class craftsmanship with cutting-edge innovation,” the company explained. “The prototype designs were wear-tested in our Sports Research Lab by players at every level, including Chase Young and Will Anderson Jr. These insights proved vital throughout the process.”
The Prodigy cleat represents the culmination of these efforts. It’s a low-top model aimed at enhancing speed and agility, ideal for skill players like Harrison. Alongside the Prodigy, New Balance has introduced the Fortress cleat, a black and gold high-top designed for enhanced support and durability.
The unveiling of these models signifies New Balance's ambition to set a new standard in football footwear. “The game deserves better. We won’t settle for anything less than setting a new standard,” the company stated unequivocally.
Harrison’s entrance into the NFL with revolutionary cleats is met with excitement among his peers, including Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. “I think that takes us to another level,” Murray remarked, expressing his excitement about Harrison's potential impact on the field. “When you got a guy out there that is capable of winning one-on-ones, obviously he's got to go do it and he knows that. We all know it, but as far as manipulating coverage and stuff like that, you got a guy out there that can do that and even if he's not open, he's open. I'm excited to be able to build that with him, but when he does what he does, yeah, I fully expect our offense to be top of the league.”
Since 2020, New Balance has been diligent in its efforts to penetrate the football market. Despite their reputation for running shoes and athletic wear, the company has diversified and adapted its expertise to meet the rigorous demands of football footwear. The Prodigy and Fortress cleats are the tangible outcomes of this innovative journey—a blend of tradition and modernity, promising to offer players unprecedented levels of comfort and performance.
With Harrison stepping into these groundbreaking cleats, New Balance has undeniably altered the landscape of football gear. It’s not just about the aesthetics or the brand; it's about pioneering new levels of performance on the field. As the season unfolds, all eyes will be on Harrison and his Prodigy cleats, waiting to see if they indeed set the new standard that New Balance is aiming for.