# Official Athletic Footwear Partners R.A.D. Joins Forces with ROGUE INVITATIONAL in 2026/2027 By Kalin Ned | Published 2026-05-18 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rogue-invitational References: [boxrox](https://www.boxrox.com/r-a-d-announced-as-the-official-footwear-partner-of-the-rogue-invitational/)  [R.A.D.](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/crossfit-competitor) has been named the official footwear partner of the [ROGUE INVITATIONAL](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rogue-1) for the 2026 and 2027 events — a three-day CrossFit and strongman competition taking place in Aberdeen starting October 23rd. As a result of the partnership between R.A.D. and ROGUE INVITATIONAL, individuals will gain access to a variety of innovations and initiatives. For example, the collaborators will be launching a [co-branded shoe silhouette](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bandit-x-asics-capsule). The footwear company is also committing ten dollars from every pair of R.A.D. shoes sold on roguefitness.com to the athlete prize purse. The partnership will also boast a significant brand presence for the official footwear partner throughout the event, featuring special activations and workout sessions. ROGUE INVITATIONAL is considered to be one of the most prestigious competitions in functional fitness, attracting elite athletes from around the world. Image Credit: R.A.D. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.5/10 - Popularity: 46% | Activity: 43% | Freshness: 77% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Sports](https://www.trendhunter.com/sports) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Co-branded Performance Footwear:** A collaboration-driven shoe silhouette targeting competitive athletes creates scope for differentiated product lines tied to event credibility and athlete feedback. - **Event-linked Revenue Sharing:** Redirecting a portion of retail sales to competition prize purses introduces new monetization models that align consumer purchases with event economics and athlete compensation. - **Experiential Brand Activations:** Immersive on-site activations and branded workout sessions blur the line between retail and live sport, enabling deeper customer engagement and data capture during events. ### Who This Affects Most - **Athletic Footwear:** Performance-focused shoe brands can capitalize on competitive partnerships to accelerate product validation cycles and co-branded premium offerings. - **Functional Fitness Events:** Organizers of high-profile competitions gain alternative funding pathways and amplified spectator experiences through integrated retail and sponsorship mechanics. - **Sports Sponsorship and Marketing:** Sponsorship deals that include revenue-sharing and activation rights create opportunities for novel sponsor ROI models and closer measurement of consumer impact. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Custom 3D-Printed Basketball Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/project-rap-silhouette.md) - [Athlete-Approved Sporty Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dani-speegle.md) - [Fitness Competitor-Approved Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/crossfit-competitor.md) - [Performance Basketball Footwear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/basketball-iii.md) - [Inaugural Apparel Brand Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gymshark-x-rad-sneakers.md) - [Athlete-Collaborative Performance Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dame-x.md) - [Seasonal Footwear Releases](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/factory-racing.md) - [Seasonal Footwear Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/roa-fw26.md) - [UFC Athlete-Backed Footwear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/project-rock-x-charles-oliveira.md)