The history of Palace Skateboards has always been connected to the sports world, a bond that goes far beyond the collaborations that have projected the British brand at the top of the fashion industry. Although since its foundation the brand's DNA has undeniably been characterized by a skate soul, it's interesting to note how all the partnerships that the brand founded by Lev Tanju has carried on, none of them has to do with skateboarding.

Palace collaborations have always moved on two very close tracks: on the one hand, these joint ventures are born from the passion of the brand's creatives - and team members - for a particular sport, such as football, often a source of inspiration in designing collections, or tennis, the latter useful to reaffirm the Britishness of the brand in a symbolic frame such as that of Wimbledon. On the other hand, all these partnerships bear a strategic component, the intention, through remarkable collaborations, to redefine the brand reputation and to broaden the brand's range of action and popularity, an objective achieved only partially in the capsule created with adidas for Juventus. In its expansion plan, Palace has found in adidas a fundamental partner, which has ensured a privileged entry into the world of sport. 

Most of all, the collaborations with the world of sport reflect Palace's attempt to enter the mainstream while trying to maintain a balance between its past and present streetwear and the desire to escape from its reference sector without affecting the brand identity.

Here are the best moments in the successful relationships between Palace and the world of sports. 

Palace x Rapha (2020

One of Palace's most successful (and most original) releases in recent years has been the SS17, with some items clearly inspired by sports models. In particular, the London brand had created two long-sleeved t-shirts with stripes inspired by the colours of Juventus and Inter. In addition to being both quite as wide as a classic football shirt of the nineties, the black and white pairing clearly recall a historical model of Italian football. In general, that collection had several sports items, including a suit very similar to the suits of Formula 1 drivers.