The Young Bucks Reveal How Reebok Deal Came Together

AEW’s Young Bucks, Matt and Nick Jackson, recently unveiled their partnership with Reebok during the May 15th episode of AEW Dynamite. This collaboration has proven to be a significant success for both the wrestling duo and the shoe company. They have now disclosed that this partnership was in the making for quite sometime before its official announcement.

During the AEW Dynamite broadcast, it was announced that the new Reebok shoe boasts the Young Bucks’ logo on the back heel and a vibrant design on the insole. The initial reception to the collaboration has been overwhelmingly positive.

While speaking on Sneaker History, the Bucks talked about the development of their partnership with Reebok. Nicholas mentioned that the deal took nearly two years to finalize, following the success of their initial signature shoe with Diadora.

Reebok expressed interest soon after that release, but the process turned out to be more lengthy than they anticipated. Nicholas pointed out that the collaboration with Reebok was a major step up from their previous work and a major milestone for them.

Matthew recounted the early stages of the collaboration, where he provided Reebok with a detailed storyboard and multiple ideas for colorways. He also shared old photos of their gear to give Reebok a sense of their aesthetic. The initial mock-ups were quickly adjusted to match their vision, but there was a considerable delay before they received the final product.

Seeing the completed sneakers for the first time was a surreal moment for them, especially given their history with the brand. Matthew recalled wearing similar sneakers as a backyard wrestler in the early 2000s and expressed how achieving this collaboration felt like a bucket list accomplishment that might be hard to surpass.

Nicholas: ”That was two years in the making, just about. We had heard they wanted to do a deal with us after our first release signature shoe with Diadora went so well. They contacted us pretty quickly after that.”

Matthew: ”Right away.”

Nicholas: ”They had interest and we didn’t realize how long the process takes because now, two years later, we finally had a release. After that shoe went so well, they wanted to do something with us and we couldn’t believe it. Matt went into detail a little how we used to wear Pumps back in the day, so it was full circle for us. That was bucket list. The first release was cool, but Reebok is a big deal. It’s a little bit bigger than what we had just worked with. I would have never thought we would have our own.”

Matthew: ”I remember the beginning stages. They were like, ‘What kind of aesthetic are you looking for?’ I pretty much put up an entire storyboard of ideas. I must have sent them 10 or 12 different ideas about colorways. We brainstormed. They were cool. They were open to collab with everything. I sent them old pictures of gear that we had worn, just so they got an idea of what the Young Bucks aesthetic is. I want to say we nailed it down almost immediately. Within a few days, they sent me a mock up of what they could do. I had to alter a couple of things, but we were 90% there. We knocked it out pretty quick. We hadn’t heard anything. It must have been a year, ‘Are we still doing this project?’ They are like, ‘We’re good. This is just how long it normally takes.’

I remember seeing a pair for the first time. It was one of those bucket list moments of ‘Woah.’ We had the Diadora, but this is a sneaker I literally wore as a backyard wrestler in the ring. I have a picture of myself in 2002 or 2003 wearing a pair of these sneakers. To come back and do it 20 something years later and have our own logo on their, it’s one of those things where, I don’t know if we’re ever going to be able to beat this.”

The Young Bucks x Reebok pumps were released for sale during AEW Double or Nothing weekend and quickly became a hot commodity. Regardless, The Bucks are now more focused on their upcoming Blood & Guts match with Team AEW on Dynamite this week, so we’ll have to see how that turns out.

What do you think of The Young Bucks’ deal with Reebok? Did you manage to purchase a pair for yourself? Sound off in the comments section below!