If there is one thing Noah Lyles loves more than being the self-proclaimed fastest man on the planet, it is his antics for stirring controversy. It doesn’t matter how, where or why. Whether it be his bickering with the Lightning Bolt over who is faster one or to take digs at his fellow sprinters, it seems he simply craves infamy. Not even his sponsors are safe, as his fiasco with Adidas over his own shoe line is stuff of legend. But while all this is going on, his partner in crime, Rai Benjamin, has something to say about his own dance with New Balance as his sponsor.

Veroman Norwood joined Noah Lyles and Rai Benjamin on the latest episode of Beyond the Records, and while they talked for an hour and more, one interesting conversation was over the sponsors of the 2x Olympian, New Balance. ” They actually been really great supporting me through my last, you know, my last couple of years,” said the Louisiana native when the host talked of how great New Balance has been with him. The sponsors have been so great to the athlete that he signed with them and then never had second thoughts.

He continued, “I’ve been with them since I started out; I never had a moment where I thought I was signing with anyone else; it always was New Balance from the get-go.” But this kind of thing didn’t come easy to the four-time world champion. He had to prove his worth. He “showed up every single day, put in the work, being consistent, showing that I’m worthy of everything that they give me.”

NB has been a great company to the Olympic silver medalist. Ever since he signed with them, he has been subjected to human lie treatment and is his very own words, “They understand everything will be our way or go our way; they know that they have, like they know they’re going to support us in every possible way they can and I think that is really great for brands to understand, like the athletes that they invest in.”

It only brings the best out of the athlete when he knows the sponsors have his back, and it’s always profitable for the company to understand that the athlete there is putting money on. Talking of athletes and sponsors, one other member of the trio on the podcast didn’t say anything about this. But why? Why would a guy like Noah Lyles choose silence? Well, this might have something to do with his experience so far with shoe brands as sponsors.

Noah Lyles and the sponsors

Noah Lyles went professional in 2016 and Adidas was the brand that decided to support the American sprinter; later, this deal was also extended to the 2028 LA Olympics in what is described as the “richest contract in the sport of track and field since the retirement of Usain Bolt” by his management. But the renewal wasn’t easy.

In one of the episodes of Nightcap, the 2024 Olympics winner said, “I was in negotiations with Adidas for over a year to get the contract (extension).” This was the same time when the shoe brand also asked Lyles to show up at an event celebrating NBA player Anthony Edwards’ signature shoe launch. He wasn’t really happy about this whole thing, however.

In true Noah Lyles fashion, he mentions Time Magazine that, “You want to invite me to [an event for] a man who has not even been to an NBA Finals? In a sport that you don’t even care about? And you’re giving him a shoe? No disrespect: the man is an amazing athlete.” Appreciating both the athlete and Adidas for seeing the prospect, he only had one question: “How could you not see that for me?”

Lyles was demanding a signature sneaker, citing, “I want a sneaker. There ain’t no money in spikes. There’s money in sneakers.” And when the brand did not give him one and invited him to the event, he simply said, “Being very vulnerable in this moment, I felt very unheard at that moment with Adidas. I felt very unheard.”   But then again this is Noah Lyles we are speaking of. Spotlight is where he belongs.

Though the sneaker is yet to come and the Tokyo Olympics has issued a clarification over his absence during the event, they have a contract till 2028. The contract renewal also raises questions about an option for the athlete since Noah does not have good relations with Nike. For now, we can say that Adidas and Noah are in a love-hate relationship.