After becoming a household name in America, AND1 footwear and clothing company branched out to more than 30 countries. Eventually, the company gained international fame and promoted sales in 130 countries. Its product line included the popular AND1 Rises. These shoes, which featured an aggressive, yet clean look, were popular with basketball players, including Chauncey Billups. Somehow, in spite of producing products much beloved by street basketball fans everywhere, it could not stand up to the Nike Goliath that set its sights on taking And1 out.
Founder Lance “Born Ready” Stephenson
And1 footwear and clothing-founder Lance “Bored Ready” Stephenson was well known to NBA fans. He has played for the Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Clippers. He wrapped up his career with the Indiana Pacers. At one point he was considered one of the best players in the league, and was a personal endorser of the brand.
The NYC native signed an endorsement deal with AND1 in November of 2012. Lance Stephenson was a NYC basketball champion his entire high school career, and at the end of his senior year, he was named Mr. New York Basketball. His talent, drive, and streetball style fit the brand perfectly and went on to a professional career.
Tai Chi basketball shoe
The AND1 Tai Chi basketball shoe was a lightweight sneaker with a premium leather upper. It also included a chrome shank plate for midfoot stability. The mid-sole uses soft EVA foam to provide cushioning. At one point Vince Carter, a Toronto Raptors star, wore the AND1 Tai Chi.
The AND1 Tai Chi is the brand’s only silhouette, but it sold over a million pairs during its heyday. It was a hit with superstars like Vince Carter and Latrell Sprewell, and it was also a huge success with lesser-known players.
Tours
The thing that put the brand on the map and disrupted the sports footwear were the AND1 footwear and apparel tours that became a staple in the basketball world. The brand started out as a collaboration between three graduate students in 1993. The company’s name is derived from a popular basketball broadcasting term: the “free throw.” And 1’s first celebrity spokesman was Stephon Marbury, and they launched their first basketball sneakers in 1996.
NBA endorsers
AND1 is a company that specialized in basketball footwear, clothing, and sporting goods. It was founded in 1993 as a graduate school project by Jay Coen Gilbert, Seth Berger, and Tom Austin. Its name is derived from the basketball broadcasting term “free throw.”
And1’s most notable shoe is the Tai Chi, which was introduced to the world during the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. This sneaker fused streetball with professional basketball and captured the imagination of America. Since then, it has remained the brand’s most popular shoe and a collectible item.
Netflix documentary
A Netflix documentary about the rise and fall of the AND1 footwear and clothing brand is now available. This fascinating story is sure to capture the attention of a broad audience. AND1 is a popular American footwear and apparel brand founded in 1993 by three Wharton graduates. The company has grew from humble beginnings to a global brand with an iconic t-shirt design.
The documentary focuses on the story of AND1 as a company, and the rise and fall of a global brand. It is a riveting tale of an American business, which bridged the worlds of urban culture, hip-hop, and basketball. The documentary, directed by Kevin Wilson Jr., explores how AND1 managed to go from a small start-up to a million-dollar business. While the company eventually ran into some financial trouble, the brand’s success was undeniable: AND1 brought affordable quality basketball games and entertainment into communities that were previously deprived of access to professional games.
Although And1 still exists, it is a shell of its former self. When it became too big of a threat to Nike it became a victim of a competitive campaign that And1 simply couldn’t keep up with.
There were lots of factors leading to the brand’s demise, but the biggest maybe summarized by Digital Mafia Talkies: “Although the Nike Freestyle range was launched in 2001, AND1’s fall in popularity did not take place until four or five years later, and it was not just bigger competition that drove them out of the market. There was a gradual belief growing among the streetball players enrolled under AND1 that the company was mostly making money out of their hard work and not giving them enough money in return. AND1 never really had any fixed contract value basis with regards to the deals it made with these athletes, and the amount of money paid to each of them had no parity. This made a number of the individual players feel that they were not being respected enough, and the team’s morale deteriorated very quickly. Soon, players had heated arguments and even altercations with the tour managers, company officials, and then amongst themselves. Some of the initial few streetball players that AND1 had signed started to feel used, and were losing respect for the owners.”
