Building a Shoe for Kyle Snyder:
Not just a wrestling shoe, but a piece of equipment. Kyle Snyder is arguably the best athlete in this sport. It is about creating a piece of equipment that can undergo the biggest strain and stress possible and still keep going. The challenge was to create not only the shoe for Kyle in 3 short months, but also an entire brand. Keeping in mind that Kyle has the potential to be the most influential athlete in our sport. Kyle Snyder was involved throughout the process to ensure that his brand was an exact match for him.
Signing Kyle to RUDIS:
Possibly being one of the best to ever wrestle, Kyle had several offers on the table. It was a matter of who was willing to put in the time and effort to secure his name, and build a brand for his legacy. Building a relationship with Kyle and his family was crucial.
“There were a lot of other good companies, but I didn’t think there were any other elite companies, other than RUDIS. They had the right people, the right value system, the right culture. All the pieces in place that I thought were needed to take over the wrestling apparel and shoe market.” -Kyle Snyder
Time to get to Work:
After signing Snyder, the work wasn’t over, it had just begun. The intensity in the RUDIS building raised because we only had three months to build his brand. The vision for KS included, not only the shoe but, an apparel line and a press release requiring a photoshoot. Kyle met with designers and helped finalize decisions along the way.
Welcome to the Team:
The first time Kyle competed as a RUDIS athlete was only a month after he had signed. This was at the World Cup in Iowa City. There was not enough time for us to produce a shoe for him. In fact, no one at this point even knew we were stepping into the shoe business. During the World Cup, RUDIS team members were in China building Kyle’s shoe. While in Iowa City, Kyle wanted to display his loyalty to RUDIS and he made the decision himself to cut the logos off the shoes he was wearing.
Follow the journey of an idea becoming reality with an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to create an athlete-centered premium product.
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