Brand Profile: Routine
We wanted to take this time to formally introduce the newest member of the Pro Athlete starting lineup. Batting third, please welcome Routine Baseball to the batter’s box.
We acquired Routine in December of 2019 to join the ranks of our other brands, JustBats and JustGloves. With a similar customer base, rooted in America’s Pastime, we thought it was a grand slam for our first-ever acquisition.
For years, we had been monitoring Routine and loved that the brand brought something new and unique compared to other lifestyle apparel brands in the baseball space.
Routine was founded in 2011 by friends Michael DeGrave and Tony Knapton who were in search of apparel that fit their style as well as their love for baseball. They quickly got a boost when then MLB-newcomer Bryce Harper was spotted wearing one of their designs while making his ascent into big league stardom. From that point on, Routine has become a staple in the closets of baseball players and fans around the country.
They continued to corner the baseball market when it came to the lifestyle/streetwear feel as more and more professional players were seen reppin’ Routine’s gear. A collaboration in 2017 and again in 2019 with Adidas helped grow the awareness of the brand even more.
Routine was based in Milwaukee until late 2019, when we moved the operation to Kansas City. Since bringing the brand under the Pro Athlete umbrella, we have been slowly getting the operations side of things dialed in to put us in a good, offensive spot coming out of the COVID-19 crisis.
We were debating how to introduce the baseball world to the new partnership between Routine and JustBats but with the metaphorical curveball that has been 2020, it felt right that our first mission together would be the Safe At Home campaign to help strikeout COVID-19. In a few short weeks, we were able to design, produce and promote a shirt that encouraged our customers to practice social distancing while also helping a great cause. All proceeds from the sale of our Safe At Home shirts were donated to Sandlot Goods and Made In KC who then produced masks for medical professionals and first responders in the Kansas City area. In 2 months we were able to fund the production of over 30,000 masks. We got some pretty awesome influencers to jump onboard to help spread the word and feel honored to have had them on the Routine team.
The next chapter in the Routine story is being written right now, and we wanted to share our letter to baseball and the world. Thanks so much for supporting Pro Athlete, JustBats and JustGloves over the years. We hope you will enjoy the newest member of the family as much as we are!
As we like to say, until we talk again, please do us one little favor and promise to Keep It Routine!
