Trade talks might be lighting up headlines this summer. But in The Queen City, it’s a different kind of switch that’s making waves. And this time, it’s got everything to do with cleats. When the Buffalo Bills kicked off their minicamp, all eyes were on Josh Allen. But it wasn’t his throws that had people talking—it was his feet.

The former Nike frontman appears to be walking away from the swoosh. After nearly six years with the sportswear giant, Allen’s loyalty may have just shifted in a game-changing way. Interestingly, Allen wasn’t just another name on Nike’s roster. The MVP contender carried serious weight in the brand’s football division.

He even debuted some major drops, most notably, Deion Sanders’s retro cleats in a player-exclusive colorway. Allen also made headlines when he rocked the Nike Kobe 6 “Grinch” cleats before they even hit the shelves. That’s the kind of influence Nike trusted him with. So what changed?

Well, fast forward to a few weeks ago, Allen was sporting cleats from Nike’s $6.5 billion rival—New Balance. And not just once. Allen laced up in the New Balance Prodigy ‘white with silver metallic‘ cleats during Bills practice. They retail for $170 on NewBalance.com. While that might not sound like a big move to the casual fan, for sneaker watchers and insiders, it was a loud statement. Since then, the buzz hasn’t slowed down.

To make things even more obvious, Allen was recently spotted out and about with his newly wedded wife Hailee Steinfeld wearing a full New Balance kit—cap, shorts, sneakers, the whole kit. Yet New Balance hasn’t confirmed anything official. Still, industry whispers suggest something big might be cooking. If the two do link up, it’s only a matter of time before fans see a major rollout heading into the season.

That said, there’s still a possibility Allen’s Nike contract simply ran out. But here’s a thing, even if NB got a deal with Allen, he will have to cover their logo on the field, unless New Balance gets licensing rights with the NFL. There’s one big question lingering over.

Is Josh Allen the final piece in New Balance’s NFL takeover?

New Balance isn’t just dipping toes into football anymore—they’re diving in headfirst. After reintroducing its football cleats in April 2024 and signing rookie sensation Marvin Harrison Jr., the $6.5 billion sneaker brand now seems to have its sights set on something much bigger.

With Josh Allen possibly joining the mix, New Balance wouldn’t just be adding another athlete. Indeed, they’d be locking in a face of the league. Pair him with the likes of Chase Young and Harrison Jr., and you’ve got a trio capable of turning serious heads on the field and in the sneaker world.

But there’s a catch. While New Balance dominates in other sports—with stars like Shohei Ohtani, Kawhi Leonard, and Coco Gauff—they’re still out of the NFL’s official on-field gear circle. As of last season, “players could wear New Balance cleats but had to conceal the logo.” That’s because only Adidas, Nike, and Under Armour currently hold licensing rights.

Still, CEO Joe Preston isn’t sweating it. Under his leadership, New Balance has gone bold—branching into lifestyle collabs and chasing a major revenue goal. “We want to be a $10 billion brand,” Preston feels. Moreover, with high-profile deals, designer drops like the Miu Miu collab, and global expansion on the rise, they’re well on their way.

Finally, let’s not forget “The Track”—a $300 million sports hub near Boston that screams intent. Complete with courts, turf, labs, and tech, it’s New Balance’s version of Nike HQ. So, if Allen is all in, maybe the league’s sneaker hierarchy is about to shift.