Colin Kaepernick, New Era launch capsule collection

Colin Kaepernick is best known for his abilities on the football field, but, many would be surprised to know that the gifted athlete has a thing for fashion as well. In an interview with WWD, Kaepernick confessed to owning 500 pairs of shoes and around 300 pairs of hats. If you thought Carrie Bradshaw was a shoe icon, she was just dethroned by Kaepernick.

This fall, Kaepernick will be able to add three of his own hats to his collection. The athlete will be designing a capsule collection of hats for New Era called Pinnacle CK7, the title being a homage to his initials and San Francisco 49ers jersey number. This also furthers the growing relationship between fashion and sports, with athletes like Dwyane Wade recently collaborating with companies like The Tie Bar.

NFL star Colin Kaepernick collaborating with New Era

Kaepernick went on to say in his interview that, "It’s a great opportunity for athletes to cross over and become more well-rounded and be able to do a lot of different things, not just play their sport." In a career where most people are retired by their 30s, a smart athlete would do well to think about their business endeavors and prospect outside of sports from early on.

If the likes of former athletes like Michael Jordan prove anything with his Air Jordan sneakers, the fashion industry is a good bet for the athletic crowd after they have retired. When you have your claim to fame as a successful athlete, and you are a name that people will remember for years to come, all you need is a good product to put your name on. The fashion industry was quick to embrace Kaepernick as well.

In 2013 he landed on the covers of GQ and V magazine. In addition to New Era, he has also received endorsements from Nike and Levi's. Last October, he was given the title of best-dressed NFL star at GQ's first-ever style awards.

Kaepernick worked with his stylist Rachel Johnson to put together the three styles that will be sold by New Era and select retail partners. The collection mixes supple leather in scarlet, white, and olive with suede, and incorporates gold metal and fabric to mirror the gilded theme for the season in honor of the Superbowl's 50th anniversary kicking off on September 10. Kaepernick wanted to make sure his collaboration transcended that of a normal baseball hat.

He described his collection as one hat geared for workouts, one hat as a tribute to the military, and his favorite one which incorporates snakeskin embossed leather and gold foil. When asked about his future fashion endeavors, Kaepernick said, "I wouldn’t be opposed to it if the opportunity came about where I had a chance to do that. I’d definitely look into it and try to take full advantage of the opportunity.”

He's certainly gaining his spotlight in the fashion industry, so, who knows what doors could open for him next. Retailers and fashion companies will certainly be watching to see how successful his hat collaboration is, and from their further opportunities would be sure to follow. Kaepernick may have success on the football field, but, he now has a place in fashion as well.