Fashion Drives Adrian Wilson

Recently ESPN posted an in depth look at former NC State and NFL standout Adrian Wilson, and how his love for shoes and fashion drives his secondary career now that he has retired from the NFL.  It all started for Wilson when he was growing up in High Point, NC when his older brother, William (passed away in 1997), gave Adrian a hand-me-down pair of basketball shoes that were too big for him. This didn’t stop him from stuffing socks into the toes in order to make them tight enough to wear though.

Juanita Guy, Adrian’s mother recalls how he would meticulously take care of his shoes, even scrubbing them with a toothbrush as well as washing the shoe laces.  Fast forward to present day and that same passion for shoes have helped Wilson accumulate close to 10,000 pairs of shoes…talk about a sneakerhead.  Not only does Adrian enjoy his own collection, but a little over 8 years ago he started his own sneaker store High Point.  You can find his store front in Scottsdale, AZ on Camelback road. The success of his flagship store has been so great that he has expanded to El Paso and has plans to open another in Austin as well.  Wilson has also opened Nove, a women’s boutique in Scottsdale and in El Paso.

Even with the success of these stores Wilson has not settled.  Later this month he will release a private label collection which includes a full line of Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer clothing that he has collaborated with some veterans in the fashion industry.  Adrian Wilson was an early trailblazer in fashion while he was with the Cardinals.  Like many athletes he realized that his appearance is important.  He wanted to put forth the type of image that defined him.  That moment came early in his career when he bought his first tailored suit.

Wilson’s example trickled through the locker room and inspired current Arizona Cardinals’ cornerback Patrick Peterson.  Peterson used to wear t-shirts and polo’s exclusively, but wanted to have a cleaner image in the public, so he consulted Wilson.  Patrick now can be found wearing tailored suits and is more aware of his public image.  It is refreshing to see Wilson having such success after he has finished his NFL career.  So many players find themselves stuck without any real potential after their playing days are over.  Hopefully more athletes will look to Wilson for an example of how to find success off the field. Adrian is a great representative of North Carolina State University!

Be sure to check out the full article on ESPN.com if you get a chance.