Foot Locker is looking to get in on Knicks fever with a new multi-year partnership with Madison Square Garden Sports Corp.
On Wednesday, the Dick’s Sporting Goods-owned company was named the official athletic footwear retailer of the New York Knicks ahead of the 2026-2027 NBA season.
As part of the new deal, Foot Locker will be showcased at all Knicks home games at Madison Square Garden throughout the season. This will be amplified by dedicated retail activation within the Knicks Team Store in Madison Square Garden’s Chase Square, featuring Knicks products during home games and open to the public.
There will also be curated retail pop-ups inside Madison Square Garden during select Knicks home games as well as premium brand integration during Knicks home games, including in-arena and on-court contests, LED ribbon signage and more.
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Foot Locker also noted that it will host a Knicks theme night featuring elevated in-arena branding, contest, and fan experiences. Plus, there will be exterior signage at the Garden and dedicated retail promotions in connection with select Knicks wins throughout the season.
Finally, Foot Locker said it will integrate the banner into a Knicks original content series across Knicks digital channels, as well as a presence within the Fan Zone section of the Knicks official app.
To celebrate the launch, Foot Locker said it will “bring the energy of Knicks basketball” directly to fans across New York City with the Fan Express, a mobile experience that will make stops throughout the city and culminate at Madison Square Garden. The activation will feature a retail experience with curated footwear and apparel, ticket giveaways, live podcast recordings, prizes, and more.
Brett O’Brien, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Foot Locker, said in a statement that “basketball has always been a driving force in sneaker culture, and the energy the New York Knicks have created around the game is electrifying.”
“This partnership brings together two brands with deep roots in New York and reinforces Foot Locker’s commitment to being the home for basketball,” O’Brien noted. “Together, we’ll create new ways for fans to experience the game, discover great product to support their team, and celebrate New Yorkers’ passion for the city.”
Doug Jossem, executive vice president global sports and entertainment partnerships for MSG Entertainment, added that Foot Locker joining the Knicks family of marketing partners is a “perfect fit.”
“Foot Locker’s dedication to providing basketball fans with the best possible customer journey is well aligned with the values of the Knicks organization, and we look forward to growing our relationship as we work together to provide fans with unique and innovative experiences,” Jossem said.
This new deal comes at a challenging time for the footwear retailer. In its most recent earnings report release in August, Dick’s Sporting Goods noted that its Foot Locker segment — which includes the Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, WSS and Atmos banners — saw net sales of $1.74 billion in the second quarter of fiscal 2026. Proforma comps for the Foot Locker business segment declined 3.6 percent, impacted by challenging conditions in the athletic footwear marketplace, the company noted.
At the time, executive chairman Ed Stack said that the overall retail environment led to a “more significant impact” on the Foot Locker business given its greater exposure to legacy footwear silhouettes and greater dependence on footwear launch and retro product. Not only were there fewer launches in the second quarter, but those launches performed below both industry and company expectations, Stack said.
