A Roslyn native, James Swift has been interested in sneakers and athletic apparel since he was a little boy. Now the head of Swift Flight Incorporated, Swift sells his own athletic products — including his new design for a water bottle shaped like a sneaker — in stores such as Modells and the Run Around, located on Easton Road in Roslyn. “Our products have also been featured on ESPN’s Cold Pizza and on Channel 10 News. Pretty much I’m the designer for Swift Flight products,” said Swift, who formed the company in late 1994 following a car accident that cut his athletic career short. “Our pledge is to be the ultimate in athletic footwear. We’ve also got a lineup of apparel that includes: t-shirts, hoodies, shorts, socks, sweats, jeans, and jean jackets.”

The Swift Flight sneaker water bottle has been in development for a year and a half. “We’ve been working on it for a while because we’re trying to do it right. These bottles have a shelf life of three to five years, and I’m very proud of that. We also had to make sure it was safe to drink out of,” said Swift. “It’s not a matter of simply wearing this product, it’s actually giving people something to put in their bodies as well. So that’s always going to have to make us more careful.”

Swift believes that the bottle — which will soon be produced at a rate of approximately 30,000 per month thanks to a supplier deal with China Sourcing Limited — is important in hooking urban youth, his target demographic. “Our market for the product is about 90 percent urban,” said Swift. “We’re trying to tap into the lives of those who like athletic wear and love to play and watch sports. I think this sports bottle encourages a positive image and energy for this culture.”

“James was a regular old neighborhood kid, but he wasn’t just a dreamer. He used to come in and buy shoes. So it started out with an interest.” said Hank DeVincent, who owns Run Around with his brother Rich. “First he wanted to sell sneakers, then he decided he wanted to design sneakers. Then all this. He hustled and he blazed his own path James Swift is one of the great local stories here in Roslyn.”

“That store — along with Hank and Rich — have been a major inspiration to me on learning the business,” said Swift. “They’ve been selling sports apparel for a long time and they really know their stuff. I support them because they fully supported me when I was nobody. I grew up here in Roslyn. Basically, I grew up in this store. These guys have been great.”

Swift Flight is also the official athletic apparel provider for the Philadelphia Heat, a basketball program that promotes athletics from youth through college. According to Coach Jon Kinley, “One night, the kids lost a really big game. I decided to take them to a game at Temple to help cheer them up. That’s when I saw a man — James Swift — sitting at a table there selling his products. And I thought maybe we could get some free t-shirts out of it. And our relationship would evolve over time and we both grew together. Everywhere I take our kids out to play, people see them in the Swift Flight apparel and they want to buy a sweatshirt or something from me.” Second year Heat player Javez Reynolds backed up his coach, saying, “The clothes are all pretty nice. It’s kind of cool to get to wear them.”