DeSean Jackson is without question one of the most electrifying players in the NFL. He’s got three Pro Bowls, nearly 8,000 career receiving yards and 49 total touchdowns to his name. He’s a threat to take it to the house every single time he touches the football. But until now, he had yet to have his own signature sneaker or cleat.
After spending the first seven-plus years of his career on Nike’s roster of NFL players, the Redskins wide receiver thought he deserved one. “Nike promised they were going to start my own shoe and take it to the next level,” Jackson says, “but I was never taken seriously I guess.”
So when a childhood friend linked him up with Brandblack founder and veteran footwear designer David Raysse, Jackson says the brand’s vision for his signature line intrigued him. A sneaker connoisseur in his own right, Jackson was impressed by Jamal Crawford’s signature line on the basketball side. Let’s do it, D-Jax decided.
Now, about a year into the partnership, Jackson’s first signature products are finally coming to life. The Brandblack DJX Trainer is on the way, and the South Central L.A. native couldn’t be more proud.
“Everybody’s on Jordans and Nikes, but it’s something about the Brandblack model,” DeSean insists. “It’s like you really don’t have nothing but foam around your feet. When you’re working out or running, it’s all about comfort. I’m a firm believer of, you can’t be in shoes where it hurts your feet, or they’re too tight, or they don’t have that support that you need. It’s the most comfortable shoe I have.”
The sneaker itself, like most of Brandblack’s offerings, hopes to straddle the lines between style and performance, fashion and function. It’s built for high intensity training (lightweight, ultra responsive) and a sock-fit upper, body-mapped exoskeleton and fell length jet-Lon midsole make it a smooth ride. With a high-tongued silhouette and “super scoooped out apex,” the DJX-1 doesn’t look like any other shoe in its category, and that’s by design.
Whether on or off the field, Jackson likes to make a statement with his footwear. The next step is getting the Brandblack DJX cleats he’s rocked as a Redskin (so far just samples) out to the masses alongside the trainer. “I’m the type of guy, I never like to be simple. I always want to throw something different on every week. When I go to training camp, I’ll have a new flashy colorway for the season.
“It’s going to be a big year for the Redskins and for myself, so stay tuned,” adds Jackson, whose DJX Trainer will hit select retailers on September 22 in three colorways (all black, grey and all white), with a Skins-inspired edition dropping in October. “With the DJX coming out, 2016-2017 is going to be a big year, so keep your eyes on me,” he says.
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Photos courtesy of Brandblack x Estevan Oriol
