Christian McCaffrey Launches Signature Shoe With While On Earth

The star running back had been with Nike for years, and he was one of the bigger names in sports who was with the sneaker giant. But he left last year in order to do something bold and perhaps a bit risky.

He joined While On Earth as one of its co-founders, and on Monday, the company dropped his new signature shoe, “The CMC.” Not only is he one of the company’s co-founders, but he also invested his own money and sweat equity into the startup firm.

Having a deal with an iconic sneaker company such as Nike is outstanding enough for most athletes. But McCaffrey wanted something else, as he told Boardroom Talks in an exclusive interview (h/t Men’s Journal).

“I love being a part of something bigger than myself,” McCaffrey said. “I love being a part of a team that is looking to cultivate greatness. The reality is, football ends, a Nike deal ends, and all these other brands, those deals end.”

He was heavily involved in the design of the shoe, as well as its testing, and it seems like he’s serious about helping other athletes perform their best, rather than simply having his own signature sneaker as a cash grab.

“While On Earth came to me with a very unique opportunity where it was something where I could help solve a solution to what I felt like was a lot of problems in the industry, which is quality footwear,” McCaffrey said.

“So many of my teammates, people in other sports, talk constantly about either their feet, what cleats they’re wearing. Everything starts from the ground up.”

McCaffrey is also looking for a personal impact

Business coaches will tell people that the ideal situation for someone to get involved in is a promising company that is currently on the ground floor and is about to go into its momentum phase. It is too early to tell if While On Earth will carve out a decent chunk of market penetration in the sneaker industry, but McCaffrey did admit that he has an additional reason for getting involved with the company.

He told Entrepreneur magazine that he wants to set a good example for his daughter, Colette, who recently had her first birthday.

“I would just want her to learn from me, learn from the mistakes,” he said. “I would love for her to surround herself with good people.”

McCaffrey is now 30 years of age, which is the age at which NFL running backs have historically fallen off a cliff in terms of production and ability. The 49ers have been trying to preserve him this summer to keep him fresh after he took a career-high 311 carries last year, and he’s cognizant that one’s athletic career is fairly ephemeral.

“Time does run out one day,” he said. “In today’s era, there are so many distractions and things that can stray you off the best path. Time is limited and I want for her to enjoy it, work hard and stay true to who she is.”

Long after McCaffrey ends his NFL career, he can continue to have a successful second career as an entrepreneur, and it is something his daughter can use to model herself after.