NFL Star Aaron Rodgers Furthers His Partnership With Men’s Shoe Brand Amberjack
Stephen Garner
Senior Editor
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is continuing to grow his partnership with men’s shoe brand Amberjack.
The NFL star, who became an investor in Amberjack in 2021, announced today that he will launch a co-designed collection with the brand later this fall. The upcoming, sustainably focused line represents the “next major step” for a brand that continues to update men’s dress shoes while also prioritizing its environmental impact, the company said.
For Rodgers, the partnership is not just about investing in product but also the people behind it. “As I get older, I want to be a part of brands that have a similar focus on doing good in the world,” Rodgers said. “There are a lot of buzzwords around consumer products right now and scores around good environmental practices. We’re seeing a lot of greenwashing for products that maybe aren’t as good for the environment as they claim to be.”
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According to Amberjack, its vision to innovate in the old-school dress shoes category, coupled with the sustainability initiatives, is what drew the four-time MVP quarterback to work with the small, Brooklyn, N.Y.-based brand — as opposed to other, larger partnerships.
John Peters, founder and CEO of Amberjack, doubled down on his partnership with Rodgers in a statement on Thursday, saying that working with the NFL star was a “great match” from the start.
“As a small company, every brand decision we make matters,” Peters said. “For us, every individual involved in our brand needs to have a vested interest in brand growth and a passion for sustainability. We had to ensure that we would have a two-sided partnership with real collaboration to take Amberjack to the next level. I’m incredibly excited for what we have planned with Aaron this year.”
First launched in late 2020 by Peters, a former McKinsey analyst, and two former Cole Haan and Adidas execs, Amberjack has “grown significantly” in its three years of operations. Together, the team developed dress shoes using proprietary footbed and outsole technology derived from high-performance athletic shoes. Notably, Amberjack worked with the supplier who developed the Adidas Ultraboost for its first model, which includes athletic-inspired comfort features such as a heat-activated footbed that molds to the arch of the foot and a shock-absorbing outsole.
Its supply chain was also built on the premise of working exclusively with sustainable and high-quality partners, including fair-wage factories and Leather Working Group-rated tanneries, and using 100 percent carbon-neutral shipping.
“Overall, I know that Amberjack stands by what they say,” added Rodgers. “Our goal is to put other companies on notice and inspire them and individuals to take small steps. We’re not saving the world today, but we’re making it a little bit cleaner and making the dress shoe category a lot more comfortable.”
