“For me, it was bigger than basketball,” said Julius Randle, when describing his shoe deal with a lesser-known brand. In a basketball world that is dominated by athletes promoting Nike and Adidas sneakers, Julius Randle took a unique approach, back in October 2023, when he signed with the $10 billion brand, Skechers, alongside Terance Mann, as official brand ambassadors. This marked a milestone, as the now Timberwolves player became the first of only 2 NBA players to compete in the basketball shoes of that brand.

A year later, that professional relationship continues to take new leaps. The NBA player’s wife recently highlighted the most recent one.

Earlier today, Kendra Randle took to her official Instagram account to highlight a story for her 56.6k followers. The same highlighted a post by the official account of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Julius Randle. That, in turn, highlighted the 30-year-old power forward/center’s visit to Camden High School.

Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the school boasts a boys’ and girls’ basketball team. The former had reportedly won four straight state championships in the AAA division, from 2000 to 2003. The Timberwolves player collaborated with Skechers to make a donation of $30,000 to the basketball programs. On top of that, the students also received a holiday gift pack, courtesy of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kendra added a caption alongside the post that placed a heart alongside the official Instagram handle of Skechers.

Julius Randle could be seen giving a speech, posing with the huge $30K Novelty Check, and even signing a few shoes during the event. It may have also may have served the dual purpose of promoting the brand’s new line of shoes. Back in August, Randle debuted the Skechers ‘SKX Reign’ during a brand tour in China. Prior to that, Randle had worn the ‘SKX Float’ and ‘SKX Resagrip,’ during the 2023-24 season with the New York Knicks.

This is not the first event of such a nature that Julius Randle had participated in. In fact, Randle is often seen involved in several philanthropic efforts, running initiatives that support underserved communities.

One example of that is the youth basketball camps that focus on skill development and teamwork. These efforts earned him the respect of Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, who once stated, “It says a lot about his commitment to the community. When you see that, his support, his involvement…that’s what makes it special”.

Now, the NBA player works with the $10 billion brand to further those efforts. Having been together for only a year now, Randle does need some professional bond strengthening with the brand. After all, he was willing to leave Nike for them.

Julius Randle revealed that need for own shoe line motivated him to join Skechers: “It’s something outside the box”

The moment Michael Jordan debuted a pair of the ‘Air Jordan 1s’ on the NBA court, it lit a spark. A spark that changed the world of sneakers for the better. Along with the advent of athletes having their own shoe lines, it improved Nike’s status in the sneaker world. Therefore, like many rising players seen as promising marketing assets, the now $116.10 billion brand signed Julius Randle in 2012. As a result, people often spotted Randle wearing sneakers from Kobe Bryant’s or Paul George’s signature collections. However, the player also wished to have a signature line of his own. As Nike didn’t grant him a personal line, Skechers seized the opportunity back in October 2023.

“The opportunity to kinda trailblaze a new shoe in the basketball game and build with Skechers… it’s something outside the box, something I might not get to do at Nike or Jordan,” said Randle, when describing his shift to Skechers.

Randle has taken a risk, for himself and the brand, by signing with Skechers. However, every company has to start from somewhere.

Whether Julius Randle’s on-court performances help to elevate Skechers’ status in the long run is something that remains to be seen.