Pictured: Custom Nike Alpha Menace Elite Cleat; Image: CNKDaily

Shop The Cleats: Nike Alpha Menace Elite

One of my first memories as a little girl was watching football with my Dad. I knew nothing other than that my father was a die-hard Vikings fan and I, because I am his child, was automatically a defender of the purple and gold. I would sit next to my dad on the couch and emulate his screams, celebrate his victories, and pat his head when the Vikes got handed an L.

Fast forward some 20+ years later and I am still a die-hard Vikings fan who happens to find my residence in Cowboy country. Over the years, the Dallas Cowboys have grown on me and, I think it's pretty safe to say that if the Cowboys are playing anyone other than the Vikings (AND if a Cowboy win doesn't hurt my Vikes in any sort of playoff picture) I'm rooting for Jerry's team.

So, when I got the opportunity to chill with Nike Football for a day here in Triple D, I definitely knew that these Dallas Cowboys would play a huge part of our day and I was super excited about it. Just last year, the Dallas Cowboys opened up an AMAZING practice facility in Frisco, Texas. The state-of-the-art facility serves not only as the official practice location for the team BUT it doubles as a high school football stadium for Frisco ISD, houses the corporate offices and meeting rooms for all of the Cowboys organization staff (including the big guy, Mr. Jones), and features facilitites open to the public - like the outdoor field directly infront of the complex, Cowboys Fit - a public gym located on premises - and, an Nike store on site that features EXCLUSIVE merch only found on location.

Our day at The Star was PACKED with opportunities that, honestly, would be the perfect fun day for any of you die-hard Star heads. Take a look below as I walk you through a day with Nike Football that was the ultimate experience, even for this Vikings fan.

Above Images: @alrlo

We began our day with some pretty special transportation. Instead of having us arrive directly to The Star, Nike opted to shuttle us all together in a bus. But, this isn't just any bus. This bus happens to belong to the Dallas Cowboys organization and is the mode of transportation utilized when the Cowboys pick up their draft picks from the airport. Needless to say, it was like riding in the greatest stretch limo ever for the 15 minute trek to The Star in Frisco.

When we arrived, we were immediately handed amazing smoothies courtesy of the onsite fitness facility, Cowboys Fit but, more about them later. Our first stop had us doing a little shopping in Nike's exclusive retail store located right at the main entrance to The Star. The shop was ours to peruse and even featured a special surprise: custom t-shirts made exclusively for the Dallas Cowboys. While our shirts were customized, don't think you can't get in on the fun. The "No Place Like Home" shirts we received are available for purchase now at the Frisco Nike location. Here's the catch: only 214 of these shirts were made. For those of you who don't know, 214 is one of Dallas' area codes. After each of these are gone, Nike will not make any more. So, I bought one for my Dad - he's number 42. :)

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After watching the Cowboys practice with roughly 500 other fans, we were treated to a tour of both the business AND football sides of the facility. From the executive offices, which also house every Super Bowl ring and trophy collected throughout the Cowboys tenure, to the Cowboys press room (where we actually ran into the Cowboys PR team) and in-house television station, we witnessed first hand how the Cowboys media machine operated under one roof.

From there, we made our way to the football operations side of the complex and, what better way to make the trek than with a trip down memory lane courtesy of the Nike Star Walk. Down this immense hallway, dozens of history-making Cowboy events are chronicled in wall portraits, quotes, artifacts (like Michael Irvin's actual draft report handwritten by a Cowboys scout), and murals chronicling the Cowboys' past AND their future.

Before we got ready for our intense workout, we hit Cowboys Fit. The fitness club, open for membership to the public, features everything you could want when it comes to a gym. Full scale weight room complete with turf, boxing bags, and ropes, a rooftop pool for those sunny Dallas days, an onsite juice bar, nutrition coaches, and even a specific part of the facility dedicated to recovery. Our group got the opportunity to hit recover mode courtesy of Cryotherapy and a slew of other machines dedicated to making sure your body gets some super love post-workout.

Last, but certainly not least - we hit the field to get in some drills, try out some of Nike's top notch gear, and pretend (at least in my head) we were Dallas Cowboys for a day. We were greeted on the field with a special gift: a custom pair of Nike's latest super cleat, the Alpha Menace Elite. The custom cleats, crafted specifically for each of us by local artist Miguel Donjuan, were CLEAN AF. Personally, I'll probably keep these off the field and hanging up somewhere in my house, BUT I wouldn't mind investing in a pair of the Alpha Menace since I'll be lacing up next year for BvB Dallas. Yup. You heard it first.

With a Nike Football trainer leading the way, we got into intense field warmups, footwork drills, and even some passing drills. It totally didn't hurt that our Nike EKIN guide is a former pro football player. Basically, I was a Cowboy (albeit a terrible one, but still) for a day and you can't tell me any different.

I had an amazing day with my Nike family and with my fellow Dallasites and I definitely hope to head out to The Star in Frisco again soon. If you get the chance, be sure to take in the experience by registering for a tour. Oh! And don't forget to hit up the Nike Store when you go.

DISCLOSURE: I was provided with an experience in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by the brands mentioned above, and/or their affiliates, in any way. In addition, in the full spirit of disclosure, some links referenced above are affiliate links which means that CNKDaily may get a commission on anything you decide to purchase. We only recommend products and systems that we use and love ourselves so we know you, our readers, will receive the best experience possible.