The NFL season started off with a nail-biting performance by the Chiefs and the Ravens. But it was Deion Sanders’ signature cleats that became a talking point after the game.
Prime is often seen dominating the Saturday Nights in the world of football but this week his spotlight came in as early as Thursday when the Chiefs met the Ravens to kick off the NFL season.
The Arrowhead stadium was at the edge of their seats as the game boiled down to a last-second catch by Isaiah Likely. The decision was made in favor of the Chiefs as upon a closer look Likely’s toe was seen on the line, ruling the catch out of bounds. As the Chiefs went home with a 20-27 win, the photo of Likely’s foot went viral.
In the midst of all this, it was former Ravens CB Deion Sanders who benefitted from it as the shoes worn by the Ravens TE Isaiah Likely was Prime’s own Nike Vapor Edge ’96 TD ‘Diamond Turf’.
Deion Sanders’s Shoes Steals NFL Spotlight
The quote, ‘Any publicity is good publicity,’ came to life for Prime Time as the entire internet was head over heels for Likely’s foot which was barely an inch over the line.
“If only he wore a size 10 instead a 12 shoes,” one fan joked.
“This’ll be the picture that they play for our Superbowl footage. It’s ok!” a disappointed Ravens fan said.
Another fan joked about the irony that Deion himself doesn’t have a toe, Look whose shoes he’s got on Deion doesn’t even have a toe.
While another fan stated, “Deion and Nike getting some free promo for those shoes.”
Moreover, combining that picture with Likely’s impressive 111 yards and one touchdown performance along with the fact that Derrick Henry himself wore a version of Prime’s signature shoes shows how much publicity the shoe gained overnight.
What makes things even more interesting is that the Thursday Night Football matchup averaged 28.9 million views as per NBC.
Likely’s near TD reception became a photo finish for the Chiefs. So much so that even the Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was ready with savvy advice for the Ravens TE.
“It looked good from my angle on the sideline,” Mahomes said. “But then, that first view you saw, you could see the cleat… He’s just got to wear white cleats next time, that’s my advice for him.”
The day after the nail-biting matchup, Deion himself took to Instagram to endorse his shoes while also sharing Derrick Henry in action against the Chiefs while rocking his signature shoes.
This only shows that NFL players have a preference for Deion’s shoes and with the clout generated by the season opener, one might expect it to run out of stock anytime soon.
LeBron James’ Signature Cleats Claims Similar Spotlight
Deion Sanders’ signature cleats have been a special choice for many pro football athletes but the Nike Air DT isn’t the only cleats that was capable of a spotlight moment in the NFL. LeBron James’ Nike LeBron IV Menace 3 saw a similar moment of success during the NFL season.
However, one might say LeBron’s cleats were part of a bigger wow moment courtesy of the new Eagles’ RB Saquon Barkley. Barkley in his show of athleticism hurdled backward over the Jaguars CB Jarian Jones. When he did that his metallic silver LeBrons shined as bright as a star.
The moment was so impressive that even LeBron reacted saying, “Must be the shoes!! Saquon you’re insane.”
Furthermore, it needs to be noted that Saquon Barkley isn’t the only fan of LeBron’s cleats since many professional football players love to rock them during games; Cooper Kupp and JaMarr Chase are to name a few.