THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS AND STRIA SPORT ANNOUNCE OFFICIAL FOOTWEAR PARTNERSHIP FOR 2026 CENTENNIAL SEASON

(Atlanta, GA) – The world-famous, Harlem Globetrotters™ and Stria Sport, a performance shoe and apparel brand based in Chicago, today announced a joint partnership making Stria Sport the official performance shoe for the 2026 Centennial season. Stria Sport will be outfitting game and performance shoes for the Harlem Globetrotters and Washington Generals beginning with a special event at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, December 14.

“Stria is a disruptive, grassroots sneaker brand, globally distributed, outfitting top tier athletes from the NBA to the Olympics to pro hoops leagues around the world.  They are an  exciting new partner as we begin our Centennial season,” said Keith Dawkins, President, Harlem Globetrotters & Herschend Entertainment Studios. “A few of our players had been wearing Stria sneakers, loved the product, and had a relationship with Eric Porter and his team. I connected with those players to get their thoughts on a potentially bigger partnership, as getting feedback from our athletes is a crucial part of many aspects of our business, and here we are with a great fit for both organizations.”

"We are extremely excited to officially launch our partnership with the world-renowned Harlem Globetrotters for their upcoming 100th anniversary season," said Eric Porter, Stria Sport founder. "Our goal has always been to design the highest-performing shoes that can help athletes around the world succeed at the peaks of their careers. We are inspired, humbled and motivated to contribute to the next phase of the Globetrotters legacy and their commitment to excellence on the court and in the community."

Athletes will wear Stria Sport footwear during all official Global Tour games, ensuring strong brand visibility across hundreds of domestic and international appearances. Stria will be featured through in-game promotions across the tour. The footwear will also be showcased in all media moments, appearances, and CSR activations.

The full 100th Anniversary Tour will continue onwards with Boston and Pittsburgh on Friday, December 26th and continue the roll out across 200+ domestic markets and over 125+ markets internationally. Fans can also expect all-new surprises like the Golden Basketball by Spalding®, epic pre-game Magic Pass experiences, 100 Year limited edition merchandise and many other new innovations for the “Ambassadors of Basketball.” International markets such as France, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Mexico, and across Asia are just a few of the many locations the Harlem Globetrotters will be touring in winter of 2026 and running through the remainder of the year.

ABOUT STRIA SPORT
Founded in 2021 and based in Chicago, Stria Sport was created to be the next generational performance shoe for athletes and has already reached the top levels of sports competition. Stria Sport comes from the Latin term Industria, meaning diligence – a foundation of how Stria Sport has operated and formed its community. Stria Sport’s debut performance basketball shoe, the 107 Series, pays homage to one of the founder’s athletic accolades making 107 Threes in a row, and was quickly followed by its casual shoe line, the Easy Stride, prior to the release of the G1 Court Shoe for Pickleball. With a lightweight and support focus, the 107 Series has been worn all over the world by more than 100 professional athletes in 15 countries, including the 2024 Paris Olympics, Harlem Globetrotters and players competing at the highest levels in the NBA and WNBA. Stria Sport shoes and apparel are available in select retail across the country and on the STRIA SPORT Website.

ABOUT THE WORLD-FAMOUS HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS™ / HERSCHEND ENTERTAINMENT STUDIOS
Now entering their Centennial season, The Harlem Globetrotters™ are THE originators of applying sport to deliver goodwill, excitement, showmanship, and athleticism to a global audience every year. Since 1926, with a legacy of elite talent that has included many of the greatest stars of men’s and women’s basketball from HBCU’s to Division I, II, III, NAIA, The NBA, and the WNBA, the Globetrotters are the first team ever inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. They have utilized their talents to showcase their iconic brand of basketball to tens of millions in over 124 countries and territories across six continents.

Never ones to stop innovating, the award-winning organization, which currently holds an unprecedented 80+ Guinness World Records, the most of any professional sports team, has expanded its media footprint to make their content available to fans new and old on whatever platform they choose, from EMMY nominated broadcast shows, specials, and feature films, to their own FAST channel, as well as reimagining the memorabilia and collectible space through a new partnership with cllct, with uniforms and other special apparel created by legendary designer, Jeff Hamilton. Content partners include; Hidden Pictures, Vantage Pictures, Aspire TV, and Hearst Media Production Group; commercial partnerships and consumer products include Zara, EQL, IMG, Jerry Leigh, OVO, Shoe Palace, Philcos, and Excel Sports as well as the official ball partner, Spalding and Exact Sports. Coined by the U.S. State Department in 1951 as Ambassadors of Goodwill, and now serving The Official Ambassadors of Goodwill for the United Nations as well, the team leverages their moniker to drive its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts globally around their strategic pillars of Health & Wellness, Education, and Community Empowerment. These efforts have yielded partnerships with the likes of the NBA Retired Players Association, Microsoft, U.S. State Department Sports Diplomacy, United Nations: Food & Agricultural Organization, and Operation Homefront.

Media Contacts:

Mirian Arias - mirian.arias@harlemglobetrotters.com

Joe Favorito - joefavorito2@gmail.com

Stria Sport Media Relations – media@striasport.com