Michelle Akers And USWNT 85ers Launch Collection With The Realest

Forty years ago, the first U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team took the field with little fanfare. Wearing men’s jerseys with hand-sewn patches, the 17 women who represented the U.S. in 1985 had no blueprint, no resources, and no guarantees their efforts would even be remembered.

Today, those same trailblazers are rewriting history with the launch of The 85ers LLC — a first-of-its-kind, athlete-owned company designed to preserve their legacy, tell their stories, and create opportunities for the next generation of women athletes.

For FIFA Female Player of the Century, Michelle Akers, a true pioneer of the game, this project has been decades in the making. ‘Over the years, I kept asking myself, where are my 85ers in all of this?” Akers recalls.

“Our stories are valuable, both individually and collectively. We wanted to build something where we own our stories in perpetuity, while connecting the past, present, and future.”

Akers reflects, “For too long, our history wasn’t documented. We were there, we laid the foundation, but it often felt like we were invisible. This is about reclaiming that space and saying, we were here, and what we did matters.”

85ers USWNT Collection With The Realest

One of the first ways The 85ers are bringing that mission to life is through a collaboration with the cutting-edge collectibles marketplace, The Realest. The partnership began with a simple but striking realization: in 1985, the women didn’t even have jerseys of their own.

“Back then, we literally wore men’s jerseys. We had to sew on the patches ourselves,” Akers recalls. “To finally have our own jersey, with our names on it, designed just for us, it’s emotional. I’ve dreamed about this since I retired in 2000. To have it now, for our 40th anniversary, is like a dream come true.”

She calls the jersey a symbol of how far women’s soccer has come. “It’s not just fabric. It’s recognition. It says we belong, we always belong, and now the world can see it too.”

For The Realest founder and CEO Scott Keeney aka DJ Skee, that moment was a turning point. “The lightning bolt came when Michelle told me the team didn’t even have their own kit,” he says. “That blew my mind. How could the first U.S. Women’s National Team not have their own jerseys? That’s when it clicked, we could create something inspired by the original but modernized for today. Something for both the players and the fans.”

85ers History, Memorabilia, and Recognition

From that starting point, the collaboration quickly grew into a full collection: a jersey, a t-shirt, a hat, and the first ever 85ers trading card.

“This team has never had trading cards, nothing like this has ever been produced before,” Akers says. “It took 40 years, but now we finally have it. Not just for us, but to open doors for other U.S. players who’ve never had that kind of recognition. It’s about correcting history.”

She lights up when talking about the card. “When Scott showed me the first mock-up, I got goosebumps. I thought, finally, here’s something that proves we existed. Something you can hold in your hand and show your kids or grandkids. That matters.”

Skee adds: “I asked Michelle if there had ever been a trading card for the 1985 team, and she said no. That blew me away. So we made it happen. We created a base card in black and white, plus limited red, white, and blue variations. The players even sent over fresh autographs within 24 hours, which we digitized for the design. It’s probably the most recent collection of their signatures.”

Given how few photos and assets exist from 1985, the design process required creativity. “It’s wild. It was only 40 years ago, yet so much of that history wasn’t documented,” Skee says. “Part of our mission was to modernize what little existed and give the 85ers something they never had.”

85ers Celebrate Collection With The Realest

For Skee working with the 85ers isn’t just about nostalgia, it’s about setting a new standard for how women’s sports are valued. From day one, he says, The Realest made women’s sports a core priority.

“My co-founder worked for the Minnesota Twins for 15 years and saw firsthand how women’s sports were often sidelined in retail and memorabilia,” he explains. “That didn’t make sense to us. When we launched Unrivaled, the response proved what we believed: fans are hungry for authentic memorabilia that treats women’s sports with the same respect as men’s.”

That philosophy carried directly into the 85ers partnership. “This isn’t charity; it’s good business,” Skee emphasizes. “The opportunity is massive, the stories are incredible, and the demand is only growing. Working with Michelle and the 85ers has reinforced that. We’re just scratching the surface.”

Akers agrees wholeheartedly. “For once, we’re not being treated as an afterthought. The Realest listened, they respected our story, and they put it front and center. That means everything to us.”

The Love Of The Game And Beyond

At its core, The 85ers LLC is about rewriting the narrative. It’s about ensuring the women who laid the foundation for U.S. soccer are recognized, celebrated, and compensated. But it’s also about sparking broader change across women’s sports.

“Our legacy isn’t just being the first U.S. women’s national soccer team,” Akers says. “Our legacy is still evolving and still making an impact. This is about raising up our team, correcting history, and creating opportunities for the next generation.”

She adds one more reflection: “We played for love of the game, because there was nothing else. No contracts, no coverage, no guarantees. But now, 40 years later, we have the chance to make sure that sacrifice wasn’t in vain. This is about honoring the past, yes, but it’s also about building a future where women athletes own their stories and their legacies.”

“The support has been overwhelming,” Akers reflects. “This is just the beginning. We’re honoring the past, living in the present, and creating a future that finally gives women the recognition they deserve.” 85ers LLC is also launching a podcast and content series, supported by Adidas, to further spotlight their history and impact. They’ve already appeared at major events like the Queens Match with OL Reign, celebrating alongside icons like Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird, whose statue unveiling served as a stark reminder of how much has changed since 1985.

“In ’85, we couldn’t even imagine something like that,” Akers reflects. “We didn’t have TV cameras or media coverage, sometimes we didn’t even have uniforms. Now, to see women honored on that stage, and to stand there ourselves, it’s surreal. It shows how far we’ve come and how far we still need to go.”

Fans can learn more about the team’s history at the85ers.org and shop the full collaboration with The Realest at the85ers.therealest.com.