Nokona Announces ShowBelts™ Partnership with All-Star Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.

America's Ballglove Company Makes History with First Game Belt Sponsorship Deal

PHOENIX, Sept. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nokona, the iconic made-in-America baseball brand, has partnered with Kansas City Royals All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who is an avid user of the company's popular ShowBelts^™. Witt is the first official ambassador for the highly customizable game belts that are worn by hundreds of professional players who personalize this accessory with names, numbers, flags, and a wide range of colors and leathers.

Witt, a phenom in his third season in the majors, recently became the first shortstop in MLB history to record multiple 30 homer/30 stolen base seasons in a career. The Texas native is currently leading the MLB in hits and batting average, and ranks in the top 10 for 2B, 3B, R, and RBI. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, Witt was also named the USA Today Minor League Player of the Year and Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year in 2021.

"It's really cool to see players wearing ShowBelts and having the ability to customize their belts," Witt said. "In the past, belts have always been a pretty standard part of the uniform and now players can show off more of their personality. I wore custom ShowBelts for the MLB All-Star Game and the Home Run Derby, and I always try and change my belts to match the different team uniforms we have. I've started to build up a nice collection and I'm excited to keep adding to it."

As part of the partnership, Witt will be releasing his own custom line of ShowBelts^™ with Nokona, a first of its kind collaboration for the brand.

Nokona has been custom manufacturing ShowBelts^™ in the USA since 2018. They have become an essential part of the pro uniform style, with most players owning several belts with different looks that they alternate throughout the season. Last year, What Pros Wear, the authority on identifying the best gear used by professional athletes, described Nokona ShowBelts^™ as "the unofficial belt of MLB" due to its surge in popularity. In 2022, Oscar Gonzalez donated the ShowBelts^™ he wore on a walk-off home run that was given to him by Sandy Alomar Jr. during Game 2 of the Wild Card Series to the National Baseball Hall of Fame – it is on display in Cooperstown.

Made with Nokona's legendary ballglove leathers, the company also offers customizable lifestyle ShowBelts^™ that are worn off the field, so that everyone can be part of America's pastime.

ABOUT NOKONA
Nokona was founded in 1926, producing leather goods in Texas, along the famed Chisholm Trail. Since 1934, Nokona has been handcrafting ballgloves in the USA, using its legendary proprietary leathers, and drawing from generations of proud tradition combined with cutting-edge innovation. Nokona is built around exceptional quality and classic American craftsmanship, using techniques developed for close to 100 years, and celebrating the timelessness of baseball.

SOURCE Nokona American Ballgloves