Chicago Bulls All-Star Center Ben Wallace is best known for a strong work ethic that has resulted in an NBA title, four All-Star appearances and four Defensive Player of the Year awards. Now he’s putting that same work ethic into the design of his own affordably priced footwear and apparel line, the Big Ben Wallace Collection.
Launching in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles and on November 5th across the country, the Big Ben Wallace Collection is available exclusively at Steve & Barry’s stores.
The Big Ben Wallace Collection features over 50 items, including footwear, athletic jerseys and shorts, heavyweight hoodies, graphic t-shirts, hats, armbands and wristbands, all incorporating a specially designed Big Ben logo that Wallace helped design.
In fact, Wallace served as creative director of the entire line, leading the design process of every piece of footwear and apparel. That includes Wallace’s new on-court sneaker, the Big Ben, that Wallace will wear during every game of the upcoming NBA season.
Available in four color ways, including those Wallace will wear during all road and home games, the Big Ben was created by Wallace to exemplify the strength and toughness that Wallace brings to the court every night as one of the NBA’s great defensive stalwarts.
Wallace worked closely with Steve & Barry’s and leading athletic gear design firm Rocketfish to ensure the Big Ben delivers all the comfort and stability required for professional and recreational basketball players alike.
Having grown up the 10th of 11 children in the small town of White Hall, Alabama, Wallace often received hand-me-downs from his older brothers and rarely received new shoes and clothes to wear. That background played an important role in his decision to work with Steve & Barry’s on a collection of high quality sneakers and apparel that would be priced so affordably.
Wallace said, “What the Big Ben line is all about is getting kids to realize that great sneakers and clothes can be affordable and cool. That’s really important to me, and I’m looking forward to changing the mindset that you have to pay a lot of money for these types of things.”
On October 29th, at 5:00pm CT, Wallace will hold an autograph signing to celebrate the launch of the Big Ben Wallace Collection with shoppers at the Steve & Barry’s store in the Randhurst Mall in Mt. Prospect, Illinois. Wallace will wear his signature shoe for the first time in a regular season game on October 31st against the Nets.
NBA, the Chicago Bulls, and the New Jersey Nets are federally registered trademarks of their respective owners. The Big Ben Wallace Collection and Steve & Barry's are not associated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the National Basketball Association, Chicago Bulls, or the New Jersey Nets.