NOBULL
As consumers prioritize performance across running, strength training, and more, NOBULL is getting in gear.
What’s happening: During the league’s annual winter meeting, NFL owners voted to back apparel and footwear brand NOBULL Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Of note, team owners also committed another $160M to 32 Equity, the league’s investment arm which has funded Hyperice, Genius Sports, Fanatics, and others.
For context: Founded in 2015 by former Reebok execs, NOBULL gained traction as a no-frills performance brand with a sweet spot for CrossFit.
But recently, the company has been thinking outside the box with its gear… to promising results. In 2021, NOBULL reached a $500M valuation on 80% YoY growth while developing gear for a wider range of athletes:
- 2018: It launched running shoes, its first footwear extension beyond its signature gym shoe.
- 2020: It debuted a clip-in cycling shoe compatible with Peloton bikes.
- 2021: NOBULL entered performance swimwear.
- 2022: The brand launched a “maximalist” runner (à la HOKA), a GORE-TEX trail runner, an NFL-approved turf trainer, and a court trainer for tennis and pickleball
Athlete-approved. In addition to claiming Reebok’s vacated title sponsorship of the CrossFit Games, this year, NOBULL became the official training apparel partner of the NFL Combine and PGA Tour.
It has also been on an endorsement spree, signing NFL QBs Will Grier and Mac Jones, Olympic swimmer Caeleb Dressel, and NHLer Nathan McKinnon.
Punchline: NOBULL is picking up the pace, all while keeping functional training as its backbone — proving performance is a big sell across the $66B global athletic footwear market.
