Walter Payton’s shoes are among his achievements as a legendary football player. 

He pioneered this achievement since he was the first player in NFL history to have his signature shoes. Payton is among the only 19 players in the NFL to have been given their signature shoe line.

Walter Payton’s “Kangaroos” shoes are among the classiest 80s sneakers sports fans can find. Let’s dive deep into the history and different varieties available in the shoe line.

History of Walter Payton’s “Kangaroos” Shoes

Kangaroos brand has been making sports shoes since 1979, a brand born in the USA with its shoes manufactured in Germany, the company soon made it to headlines as athletes started signing deals with them as brand ambassadors.

The company was founded by Bob Gamm, an enthusiastic runner who preferred lightweight shoes. He used to run 10 kilometers a day and thus designed the sneakers spacious enough for his personal use to carry his keys and money in them.

The first ambassador for the company was Hall of Famer Walter Payton, who signed the deal in 1982, just 3 years after the origin of Kangaroos shoes. He brought signature footwear to the NFL and openly endorsed his brand every chance.

Payton had a ritual, like many football players, to tape his ankles with the cleats to avoid injury. However, he stopped taping the whole shoe after signing with Kangaroos, so their signature silhouette of a kangaroo could be visible. In 1985, Payton accredited his whole win to the shoes in a post-game interview. In that game, the Chicago Bears won a staggering 36-0 against the Atlanta Falcons, Payton scoring 20 of those. 

The Glory of Walter Payton’s Shoes

Signing a contract with a footwear company was one thing, having your signature shoes is completely different. Like the Nike Air Jordans, the Adidas Messi line, or the Nike Bo Turfs, Walter Payton’s original signature shoes were called “the Sweetness”, his nickname. He was given this honor after 5 years of partnership with the company, during which he endorsed their product to a point where they sold over 700,000 pairs a month. 

In 1984, the football legend broke the NFL history records for highest rushing scores. As a result, the brand gave him a $125,000 Lamborghini, after which Walter Payton’s Kangaroo shoes became the global highlight as he posed with the shoes and the car for many ad campaigns. His posters and billboards were found nationwide, and shoe sales skyrocketed.

Ups and Downs of the Company

After the 80s, the shoe company saw a steady and significant decline in its sales. The company nearly went under by the end of the 90s, but as trends go, after Payton’s untimely death in 1999, the company had a revival as fans worldwide started buying Walter Payton shoes. Other shoes sold by the company have been rather insignificant to this day. 

In 2020, at Super Bowl 54, Kangaroos paid homage to the Hall of Fame star by releasing a new line of his original shoes called the “Ultimate Memory of 34” shoes. The orange base color with red accents gave the shoes a strikingly retro appearance. Payton’s jersey number was 34, which is also printed on the new shoes across their heel. The shoes started at nearly 300 dollars at that time. This brought a tremendous revival to the footwear brand, and people even today are selling and buying the signature Walter Payton shoes

Walter Payton’s Shoes and Other Memorabilia Today

You can find Walter Payton’s store-line and game-worn shoes on different websites like eBay, Craigslist, etc. The signed shoes go for anywhere between 400 to two thousand dollars, a rare memorabilia for football fans. The rarest of Walter Payton shoes on the market are his original dual-signed, game-issued Sweetness shoes, currently going for a whopping 1900 dollars. They are the original all-white with the Kangaroos sign on the sides and Sweetness written on the outer rim of the front. Payton’s autograph is inked into the top of the shoe front, giving a complete white and blue look.

A picture of the athlete sitting on his blue Lambo wearing the Walter Payton shoes is currently listed on eBay at 3,000 dollars. Yes, you read that correctly, it is a signed photo card with Payton’s picture stamp on the bottom right corner, the Kangaroos brand silhouette drawn on the grass in the picture, and the legend himself holding a football in his hands.

The Kangaroos’ Sustainable Shoe Production

The Kangaroos company prides itself on high-quality, sustainable shoes. According to their website, the leather is 100% genuine from tanneries awarded silver and gold standards by the Leather Working Group, the shoelaces are recycled, the packaging is from recycled paper, and the ink used on it is water-based. Furthermore, the soles, the footbed, and all the textiles used in the shoes are recycled. 

This type of modern sustainable footwear production sets the brand aside from the majority of the current market leaders who, while claiming sustainability in their shoe-making process, are still relatively using materials and dyes that are harmful to the environment.

Conclusion of Walter Payton’s Shoes

To summarize and conclude, the football veteran Walter Payton was the first player in the NFL’s history to have his signature shoes. He signed on as the brand ambassador of KangaROOS in 1982, a footwear-making company founded in 1979 by Bob Gamm. The player endorsed the shoes in many interviews and attributed many wins. This led to significant success for the company, peaking through the 80s. In 1985, Walter Payton was given his signature shoes, “Sweetness”, which sold across the globe for hundreds of dollars then. 

Today, the original shoes are a rare but possible sight, as collectors of the memoirs have saved the shoes in mint condition to this day. These exquisite shoes are on the market for thousands of dollars, being their rarity. As diehard football fans, we hope to bag one of these beauties someday. The latest addition to the Walter Payton Kangaroos shoes was the Ultimate Memory of 34 edition, launched in 2020 to pay tribute to the legend at the Super Bowl. The Hall of Fame rockstar may be gone, but his legacy lives on.

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