From the classroom to professional footy: The story of VIS Sports
-Written by SAIT Journalism Student and SAIT Trojans men’s soccer player Alec Wells
Imagine being a full-time business student, a full-time collegiate footballer and running your own grip sock and mini shin pad business worn by professional players.
This is the reality for Ben Odd, founder of VIS Sports, a local business that prides itself on affordability, quality and reliability.
Originating from Latin, the word vis means force, power and mental or psychological effect.
The 20-year-old student is enrolled at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary and is learning hands-on skills through the business program. He also runs his company while playing on the SAIT Trojans men’s soccer team.
“Being in business school goes hand in hand with building the brand — learning things throughout the program to propel my knowledge forward for what’s next to come,” Odd said.
“Getting into a retail store as just a tiny brand that started in my dorm room — I think that was really special,” he said. “Having Calgary players and Calgary parents going into the local store and being able to buy my products is something that’s super special.”
Founded in March 2024, VIS specializes in grip socks and mini shin pads — a growing trend among collegiate and professional footballers.
Odd prides himself on keeping products affordable and accessible to collegiate players.
“To make a local brand that everyone could afford and everyone could wear, and get the good-quality grip socks and shin pads that you can't really find anywhere else, was the main motive for me,” he said.
“It’s still something that I continue to do.”
Popular shin pad brands such as Nike and Adidas sell their products for more than $50 — something collegiate players have moved away from.
Born in 2005, Odd uses his on-field soccer knowledge to make products players want.
He grew up playing youth soccer with Okotoks United and spent time with the Alberta provincial team as a centre midfielder before committing to the Keyano Huskies men’s soccer team in 2022 while studying business at Keyano College.
After capturing the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) men’s soccer championship in the 2023–24 season, Odd travelled to Windsor, Ont., to compete in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) national championship.
During his time at Keyano, Odd noticed a shift in the soccer gear market, grip socks were becoming a trend.
“Grip socks were 30-plus dollars everywhere you looked,” he said. “I thought to myself, why am I going to spend $30 on grip socks that are going to last me a couple weeks? And so I thought, why don’t I just make my own brand?
“Worst-case scenario, all my guys rock it and it’s just a cool little project. But now, obviously, it went from my dorm room to a bigger brand.”
From there, Odd started wearing his own grip socks and created the VIS Sports Instagram account, launching the brand and his first official drop of grip socks and mini shin pads on July 5, 2024.
Within two weeks, Odd sold out, and word spread quickly about the
quality and affordability of his products.
“I could boost my prices to make it more competitive, but that’s just not who I am and that’s not what I want the brand for,” he said.
One of Odd’s biggest focuses is promotion, particularly through social media.
“I don’t think if I didn’t build the brand style on Instagram, then it wouldn’t be where it is today.”
Because of that social media presence, Canadian Premier League players began noticing the brand.
“The brand outreach that we’re trying to push is that people at every level can wear the stuff, and the pro guys are trusting us with it,” Odd said.
VIS now has several Canadian professional players wearing its grip socks and mini shin pads, including Inter Toronto FC midfielder Elijah Adekube, Cavalry FC midfielder and Canadian futsal national team player Niko Myroniuk, and Pacific FC fullback Christian Greco-Taylor.
“I love the shin pads. They provide excellent protection and fit perfectly during intense matches,” said Jackson Gardner, former Thompson Rivers University goalkeeper and current professional footballer for Mandurah City FC in New Zealand.
VIS has also made an impact on collegiate players across Canada.
“VIS is an outstanding local brand in Calgary that truly supports players with high-quality, affordable gear,” said Efe Udulo, a second-year striker for the University of Calgary Dinos. “Their commitment to the community and attention to detail makes them a top choice for athletes at all levels.”
Along with supplying collegiate and professional players, Odd has partnered with several universities across Canada, the largest being the University of Calgary.
“Obviously, being a college student as well, I know that grip socks and mini shin pads are hot in the market, and partnering with big schools, especially U of C, really boosted me forward with confidence,” Odd said.
“Just knowing that I can get these big partnerships, it was a reality check of how big I could actually take this.”
Odd has also partnered with local soccer academy Plus90 Football and Calgary retail store World of Soccer.
As a current student entering his second semester at SAIT, Odd is continuing to learn how to expand and grow the brand.
He plans to expand into larger markets across Canada and internationally, including the United States, to gain more exposure and attract more high-level footballers to VIS Sports gear.
