Inside Eastside Golf’s First-Ever Nike Collaboration and New York Pop-Up
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The way things are looking, September could be a month to remember for Eastside Golf.
Since its debut in 2019, the lifestyle brand — launched by former Morehouse College golf teammates Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl Cooper — has become a favorite among athletes, celebrities and others. Its instantly recognizable Swingman logo, which depicts a Black man mid-swing in a sweatshirt, jeans and a gold chain, has been worn by the likes of Patrick Mahomes, DJ Khaled and President Barack Obama.
With momentum behind the brand, Ajanaku and Cooper have plans in place that could further expand their brand’s consumer base. For starters, it will host the second annual Eastside Golf Invitational at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey on Sept. 16. There, Eastside Golf and presenting sponsor Mercedes-Benz USA will make a financial contribution to support the Morehouse College golf team, in line with their commitments to both make the game more inclusive and to support historically Black college and university (HBCU) golf programs.
Before the event, Eastside Golf will reveal a pair of firsts for the brand: a Nike collaboration and a pop-up shop in New York City.
Just Do It
Eastside Golf had both golf fans and sneakerheads alike talking in August 2021 when it revealed its take on the Air Jordan 4 made for the course. The look, which featured all of the colors included in its Swingman logo, served as an introduction for the brand to the masses.
Three years and multiple collaborations later, the brand is still releasing shoe collaborations. However, now the partner is Nike.
“We’re not working with Jordan on a collaboration right now or in the immediate future, but it doesn’t mean that it’s over. We still sell Jordan footwear on our website, they’re still a major partner in what we do and we still talk with that team every time we’re in Portland [Ore.],” Cooper, co-founder and chief executive officer of Eastside Golf, told FN. “Now, with the opportunity to work with Nike, it’s amazing because they’ve been in golf for so long. Working with Jordan was amazing because we got to bring them into the space and authenticate them, but now we’re going to brand that’s already in the space.”
Eastside Golf founder and creative director Ajanaku added, “It’s another opportunity for us to grow. Our relationship with MJ [Michael Jordan] and the Jordan Brand is strong. We still go down to Grove XXIII here and there, so we see MJ all the time. It’s just another route that we’re taking to grow the business.”
In fact, the storytelling is a continuation of past projects.
After releasing its first project with Jordan Brand, Eastside Golf returned in 2022 with the five-shoe “Out the Mud” collaboration. The follow-up range was inspired by the red clay from Ajanaku’s hometown golf course in Georgia that would cover his shoes during practice as a kid. It was also created as a means to inspire young Black professionals to see themselves in the game of golf.
Eastside Golf would release its third Jordan Brand collaboration, titled “Change 1961,” in 2023. The three-shoe collection, which was dressed in green, black and off-white hues, was inspired by the year PGA of America lifted its Caucasian-only clause, allowing for golfers who were not white to compete in tournaments.
“A rose grows from concrete, that was one of the things said about our first shoe, and that’s why we put the concrete [pattern] on there,” Ajanaku said. “And then we went to the mud. You have to use mud to grow something. From there, it goes to grass, which we grew. We are trying to bring everybody onto the golf course to make this everyone’s game. It’s a transcending type of story, being told continuously through the years.”
“Everyone’s Game” will feature two predominantly white Nike shoes reimagined by Eastside Golf: the Nike Air Max 1 ’86 OG, which is a hybrid non-spiked golf shoe, and the spiked Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour 3.
Each of the aforementioned shoes will come with three double-sided removable Swooshes that can be changed to customize the look of the shoe. Eastside Golf chose six colors for the interchangeable Swooshes, including maroon and white (a nod to Morehouse College) and blue and white (a nod to Spelman College).
“Tuskegee University is the same color as Morehouse, so if you went to Tuskegee you can use that. Or North Carolina Central, another HBCU, they have a maroon color. And the University of North Carolina, they’re light blue so it doesn’t just have to be for Spelman,” Ajanaku explained.
The other removable Swoosh colors are mirrored (“to reflect how you see yourself in the game”), a dimpled one that is reminiscent of a golf ball, gold to represent the chain in Eastside Golf’s swingman logo and a chenille Swoosh for the brand’s sweater designs.
Other details include two gold knobs on each side of the shoes, added as a nod to country club lockers, and a pouch with multiple pairs of shoelaces (including a gold pair embossed with “Everyone’s Game. Be Authentic.”).
The Eastside Golf x Nike collection arrives Oct. 4 on the Eastside Golf app, with a broader release via Nike.com to follow on Oct. 7.
Popping Up Everywhere
The collaboration with Nike isn’t the only first Eastside Golf will experience in September.
This month, Eastside Golf will offer an opportunity to shop the “Everyone’s Game” collection at its first-ever retail pop-up shop in New York City, which will be open to the public during New York Fashion Week.
Hosted in partnership with Shopify, consumers will have the opportunity to purchase one of 100 pairs of its collaborative Nike shoes before the release date. There will be several collaborations to shop as well, such as Eastside Golf x Bridgestone golf balls, a New Era 59Fifty snapback with Paper Planes, and more.
“I started the business from off of a napkin. To be now in SoHo and have a pop-up right down the street from Fendi, Louis [Vuitton], Prada, collaborating with Shopify, it’s a dream come true and I’m forever grateful,” Ajanaku said. “So many people that didn’t see golf as something in fashion, this is the first time they’ll see golf in New York Fashion Week, or in any fashion week, period. This is just another stepping stone to change the way golf is received, seeing golf through our lens.”
Cooper added, “Most major brands have some presence in that area. To be a part of that is certainly a big deal. And there are a lot of people in the city looking for a place to get our product. This will be the first time you’ll be able to touch the full breadth of the product. The opportunity to be side by side with the customer and see their reaction in realtime will be special.”
Eastside Golf’s pop-up shop will be located at 131 Greene St., and will be open from Sept. 13-15. The hours of operation are 10 a.m. ET to 6 p.m. ET.
Although this pop-up is the first of its kind for the brand, Cooper said he and Ajanaku have discussed what a stronger presence at retail for Eastside Golf could look like. “We enjoy DTC [direct-to-consumer] because we get a chance to know who our customer is and talk to them, but we have begun to expand into [partner] doors,” Cooper said. “There isn’t anywhere that Eastside Golf shouldn’t be if golf is included in the name — think about PGA Tour Fan Shop or PGA Tour Superstore or PGA merch tent or Golf Galaxy.”
At the moment, Eastside Golf can be found at streetwear boutiques such as Extra Butter and UpNYC, as well as multiple PGA Superstore locations and several different clubs. The brand is also sold within seven airport PGA Tour Shops.
In June 2025, the brand will take its retail push one step further by opening its first standalone store within the Detroit Metro Airport.
“It’s a huge opportunity. There are a ton of synergies, and the whole state of Michigan is very supportive,” Cooper said. “Olajuwon was in Detroit when he came up with the logo. I was born in Michigan and used to be the golf pro at Detroit Golf Club. Some of our early investing, startup cash came out of Detroit. Detroit and Michigan have always supported the brand, so this is only fitting.”
About the Author
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at [email protected].
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