Why are Tom Brady's shoes blank? True reason behind Buccaneers star's mysterious decision revealed
For those of us who have seen Tom Brady play in the NFL for so long, we have become accustomed to seeing him take to the fields in custom cleats. There have been times when he has taken to the field promoting a message that is close to his heart. But generally, he has worn Under Armour cleats marked with special marks.
However, when he takes to the field nowadays, not only are they unmarked, they are completely unbranded. It was quite a surprise to see the best quarterback of all time not finding a single sponsor for his shoe. But that is not why he does not have any marks on the show.
Quite the contrary, in fact. He is in a brand partnership with Under Armour to display their brand on shoes along with any customizations. However, the sports giant, who have been long-term partners of the NFL, were scheduled to pull out at the end of 2021.
Still, they have held on to Tom Brady as his biggest sponsor. But the rules mean that since the sports brand is unlicensed, they cannot be displayed on any apparel in the NFL.
They cannot utilize any imagery of him in uniform to promote their products, or refer to his team name in their promotional material. Additionally, of course, Under Armour cannot be displayed on his game-day cleats or any other accessories on the field of play. Tom Brady and Under Armour have chosen to remain loyal to each other despite their falling out with the NFL.
How much is Tom Brady's Under Armour deal worth?
It goes without saying that if Tom Brady wanted to sign with any other brand, the biggest names would be queueing up for him. But Tom Brady has stuck by Under Armour, taking their mutual association to a period of over a decade.
For the first time since signing with Under Armour in 2010, Tom Brady played a NFL game in blank cleats tonight.
UA opted not to renew its official NFL partnership in order to have brand logos on the field.
No UA logos will be visible in NFL games all season. https://t.co/Vzddpdo61Y
He signed with Under Armour in 2010, eschewing other bigger names in the field. Where his business-savvy nature came in is that instead of it being a flat contract based on a certain amount, he took shares of the company as payment.
There is no indication of how many stocks he received, if he held on to all of them or if he sold them. But one thing is certain - that the company's stocks have risen 800 percent in the time since then.
That is a huge benefit to anyone's account. In 2018, it was estimated that the cash component of the deal raked $14 million for Tom Brady.
With such a windfall, it is no surprise that Tom Brady has remained loyal to Under Armour. It also makes a great deal of sense for the company to remain committed to the quarterback.
They have grown from a company only associated with the NFL to now competing in basketball and golf, with the likes of Steph Curry and Jordan Spieth in their stable. They also successfully got into soccer, sponsoring the leading English club Tottenham Hotspur for some time.
In the process, they have risen to become the second-largest company in the US for sportswear, displacing global behemoth Adidas in the process.
You don't need to be the "next" anybody. You just need to be the best version of YOU. Promise yourself that, and trust me, the rest falls into place. @UnderArmour https://t.co/JoXBU7YNvH
As they become more successful, their stock shares increase as well, and if indeed Tom Brady is holding on to them, so does the quarterback's net worth.
It has been the true definition of a symbiotic relationship from which both parties are benefitting. Perhaps that is why Under Armour felt so confident in their ability to walk away from the NFL, knowing they have many other avenues now.
As they look to grow even bigger, their biggest trump card will remain having the legendary quarterback in their corner.