When Oakland Roots SC was planning their launch as a professional soccer club in Oakland, they needed more than a vendor. They needed a production partner who understood the city, could move fast, and could scale with a growing organization. That's where Oaklandish Made came in.

The Challenge

Building a merch program for a new professional sports club means solving several problems at once. You need quality products that reflect the brand's identity and resonate with fans. You need the ability to produce quickly for game days, special events, and new kit launches. You need someone who can handle both in-store retail and online fulfillment. And you need a partner who understands that every piece of merchandise is an extension of the club's relationship with its community.

For Oakland Roots, a club whose identity is deeply tied to Oakland's culture, diversity, and civic pride, that last point was non-negotiable.

Why Oaklandish Made

Oaklandish has been part of Oakland's civic fabric since 2000. We've produced apparel that celebrates this city's history, culture, and community for over two decades. When Oakland Roots came to us, there was an immediate alignment of values: two Oakland-rooted organizations who believe that what you put on your body says something about who you are and what you stand for.

That shared identity made the creative collaboration natural. We understood the assignment without needing it explained.

What We Produced

For Oakland Roots, Oaklandish Made has handled lifestyle apparel and scarves, embroidered headwear and outerwear, event-specific limited runs for home openers and playoff matches, and custom sourced accessories and promotional items for sponsor activations. In the early seasons, we even handled production of the jerseys that the players wore.

Each product goes through our full production process: artwork review, pre-production samples, press checks, quality control, and delivery. Nothing ships without approval.

Scaling for Game Day

One of the realities of sports merch is that demand is unpredictable. A big match, a viral moment, a championship run — these create spikes that a slow-moving vendor can't handle. Our Oakland facility and established production workflow means we can turn around reorders quickly when it matters most.

The Bigger Picture

The Oakland Roots partnership is a good example of what Oaklandish Made does best — building a long-term production relationship with an organization, not just fulfilling one-off orders. We know their brand standards, their timeline expectations, and their community. That institutional knowledge makes every subsequent project faster and better.

We've built similar relationships with the Oakland Ballers, Golden State Warriors, Golden State Valkyries, and dozens of Bay Area nonprofits, musicians, and businesses. Every relationship starts the same way, with a conversation about what you're trying to make and why it matters.

Ready to Build Something?

If you're a Bay Area organization looking for a merch production partner who will treat your brand with the same care we bring to our own, we'd love to hear from you. Request a quote at oaklandishmade.com.