Brandon Graham, Malcolm Jenkins, and more show off their kicks at Rodney McLeod’s Sneaker Ball

On a night that combines philanthropy and fashion, Rodney McLeod and his wife, Erika, hosted their fourth Sneaker Ball event, hosted at the Vie by Cescaphe in Center City. Through their foundation, Change Our Future, the couple aims to empower youth through education, awareness, and advocacy. And to celebrate the occasion, guests were encouraged to dress in their best attire, with a pair of sneakers to tout.

McLeod, now a member of the Cleveland Browns, had teammates from his previous two stops, with the Eagles, then one season with the Indianapolis Colts, show support for the annual event, including Brandon Graham, Malcolm Jenkins, and more.

We caught up with those teammates on the red carpet prior to the start of the program to get their takes on their outfits and their choice of shoes for the charitable black tie gala event.

» READ MORE: Rodney McLeod’s Eagles days are over, but his Sneaker Ball shows his Philly ties remain strong

Bringing back the suit that he wore for Super Bowl LVII against the Chiefs, Graham showed up on the red carpet with an Eagles green suit with a green hat to match and a fresh pair of the Air Jordan 4 retros. Graham, entering his 15th and final season in the NFL, says he always wears Jordans, his preferred sneaker of choice.

When asked what sneakers meant to him and supporting his former teammate McLeod, Graham said, “It means everything.”

“All I ever wanted to do was save money and get some sneakers growing up, man,” Graham said after walking the red carpet for the Sneaker Ball. “To finally be able to do it and help others get a pair — my little cousins, I’m always trying to put a smile on their faces, just brightening their day. It’s like a haircut.

“When you get them, you want to make sure when you take them out of the box, that it’s a good moment for you to shine with your shoes.”

It was Graham’s first time attending the Sneaker Ball, as his schedule finally aligned this year. This season will also coincidentally be McLeod’s final season in the NFL as well.

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La Salle College High School alum and Philadelphia native Zaire Franklin was another first-time visitor of McLeod’s Sneaker Ball. The pair played together during the 2022 season, McLeod’s lone season in Indianapolis, while Franklin has spent his entire six-year career with the Colts.

Though they crossed paths briefly, Franklin has a lot of respect for McLeod’s community work in Philly, he said, even after departing from the Eagles.

“Rodney is one of the great Philly athletes, very well accomplished, and you know as a Philly native, I’m just always proud of guys who come into the city, treat it as their own,” Franklin said. “I think all the work and dedication he puts to the field, he dedicates better in our community, which is literally all you can ever ask.”

Franklin was sporting a pair of the recently released Travis Scott Jordan Jumpman Jack “Sail” sneakers, a gift from his wife.

» READ MORE: ‘I’ll never stop’: Collecting sneakers can be ‘a source of joy’ — or provide some father-son bonding

For the second year in a row, Jenkins showed up for McLeod’s Sneaker Ball, sporting a custom suit from his menswear clothing brand, Damari Savile, and a collaboration between his brand and New Balance for a pair of custom 990 sneakers.

After spending six seasons in Philly and still having his clothing brand based in the city, Jenkins discussed the role of sneakers in Philly’s culture.

“As an athlete, what you put on your feet is always important, how you take care of your feet. Hard bottoms don’t work for me anymore,” Jenkins said, laughing. “No matter what I’m in, in a suit or casual, it was always kind of a go-to being in a city like Philly that is for the culture and everybody kind of understands basketball and that kind of urban culture. Sneakers are part of that. That is the cornerstone of the fit most of the time.”

» READ MORE: The five best sneakers we saw at Got Sole’s sneaker convention in the Philly area

After finishing off the Sneaker Ball last year with a fashion show, McLeod and his foundation decided to make it an early feature of this year’s gala, giving the kids who benefit from the Change Our Future foundation an opportunity to show off their outfits and sneakers.

“This will really kick things off for us this year,” McLeod said before the festivities began. “Last year [it] kind of ended the show, but this year we felt strongly about our kids representing us and setting the tone for the night. And we want to really empower them so they’re ready to hit the runway. Super excited, they’re going to bring a lot of flavor, passion, energy, and confidence.”

McLeod showed up in a pair of the Powerpuff Girls x Nike Dunk Low Pro SB QS ‘Blossom’ sneakers, one of the more unique shoes to hit the red carpet Thursday night.