Receive Bulls news first from mybullsMarch 27, 2007 – Four-time NBA All-Star Ben Wallace is best known for a strong work ethic that has resulted in four Defensive Player of the Year awards, multiple NBA rebounding titles, and an NBA blocked shots title.
With Tuesday's announcement that the Chicago Bulls center is the first athlete endorser of Starbury, he will put that legendary work ethic to use on and off the court by helping get kids and parents to join the Starbury Movement. Wallace – aka Big Ben – will wear Starbury basketball shoes on-court this season.
Wallace’s Big BenTM signature Starbury sneaker is currently being designed and will debut next season during Wallace’s games. It will be available exclusively at Steve & Barry’s stores in this fall.
Starbury is a collection of high quality, affordably priced sneakers and clothes launched by New York Knicks guard Stephon Marbury and Steve & Barry’s last summer. The line includes sneakers that Marbury wears on-court during all games which retail at Steve & Barry’s for just $14.98. Starbury high performance basketball sneakers are made with similar construction and materials as the most expensive sneakers marketed by the nation’s top brands.
Consumers of all ages, community leaders, and media across the country have embraced Starbury and many have called it a “Movement” that’s revolutionizing the footwear and apparel industries by showing that cool, high quality shoes and clothes don’t have to cost a lot. Leading trade magazine Footwear News named Starbury the “2006 Footwear Launch of the Year.”
Starbury was the realization of Marbury’s vision to eliminate the pressure kids and parents feel to spend top dollar on the latest sneakers, having been raised in a large family facing financial challenges in Coney Island. Similarly, Wallace grew up the 10th of 11 children in the small town of White Hall, Alabama.
Ben often received hand-me-downs from his older brothers and rarely received new shoes and clothes to wear. That background provided a strong foundation for his no-nonsense approach to the game and his defensive prowess on the court. It also made joining the Starbury Movement an easy decision.
Wallace said, “What Starbury is all about - trying to get kids to realize great sneakers and clothes can be affordable and cool – that’s really important and I am looking forward to representing the Movement on and off the court.”
For the remainder of this NBA season and while his Big Ben shoe is being designed, Wallace will support the Starbury brand by wearing Marbury’s signature Starbury II shoe, which Marbury debuted on March 26th. Like the Starbury II and previous Starbury high performance basketball sneaker styles before it, the Big Ben shoe is being designed by leading athletic gear design firm Rocketfish.
Rocketfish is perhaps best known for providing high performance basketball sneaker concepts to Nike®, Reebok®, and Converse®. Rocketfish is working closely with Wallace and Steve & Barry’s to ensure it delivers all the comfort and stability required for professional and recreational basketball players alike.