Athletes Not Required to Wear NOBULL Footwear, CrossFit Confirms

In the wake of the news today that NOBULL signed a minimum three-year deal to be the title sponsor of the CrossFit Games, as well as official CrossFit footwear and apparel provider, fresh questions emerged specifically as to whether there will be a mandatory requirement to wear NOBULL shoes while competing at the 2021 CrossFit Games.
One big thing: A CrossFit spokesperson confirmed that the uniform policy for the past two years has not changed and athletes can wear whatever shoe he or she prefers.
Why it matters: From 2014-2018, CrossFit Games athletes were required to wear Reebok-provided footwear while competing at the Games. This rule has been a point of contention among athletes and coaches for years as footwear is usually considered performance apparel and not a uniform.
- The footwear requirement was never part of the Reebok contract.
- This policy was reversed in 2019 by then owner Greg Glassman, allowing athletes to wear whatever footwear athletes wanted.
- NOBULL specifically benefited from this reversal as their marquee athletes have stood on top of the podium the last two years.
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