Top 15 Kicks Worn During Week 1 of NBA Season

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by Brendon Schunck | Oct 28, 2019 | Featured, NBA, Sneakers

A new NBA season is upon us. Star players are getting acclimated to their new teams and a feel of optimization is in the air (for now). Former dynasties are having to come to the realization that they’re not as good as they are used to being. One thing that stays consistent, no matter what the landscape of the league may look like, is players coming hard with their footwear. New teams for signature and sponsorship athletes mean new colorways and special mock-ups to hit the hardwood.

Players like Lebron James, Damian Lillard, Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and James Harden are all sporting their new signature sneakers. Kyrie Irving is still going strong with unreleased versions of his fifth signature model, preparing to soon debut the Kyrie 6’s on court. Kevin Durant, due to injury, is unable to be seen wearing his KD 12’s on the court, however we did get to see him debut them in the 2018-19 NBA playoffs. Paul George is currently out with an injury, but his PG 3’s are a favorite among NBA players to not only wear released versions, but NikeiD options as well. Expect Paul George to debut his fourth signature shoe soon after his return. The Nike Kobe 4 Protro appears to be THE go-to game sneaker for Nike sponsored players across the league. You’d be hard-pressed to find a team that didn’t have a player wearing the classic low-cut silhouette. Nike has made a plethora of Player Exclusive Kobe 4 Protro mockups for players such as Anthony Davis, Isaiah Thomas, P.J. Tucker, DeMar DeRozan, Ja Morant, George Hill, Luka Doncic, and Paul Millsap. Even players who aren’t technically under contract with the Swoosh are opting to wear Kobe 4’s on the hardwood.

Each week we will be doing a Top 15 NBA Kicks on Court. Look below to see what was in store for the first week and to find out if any of your picks made the list!

15. Under Armour Curry 1 Icon “Digi Camo” – Hamidou Diallo – Oklahoma City Thunder

14. Adidas Dame 6 “Ruthless” – Damian Lillard – Portland Trailblazers

13. New Balance OMN1S P.E. – Kawhi Leonard – Los Angeles Clippers

12. Nike Kyrie 5 “Pineapple House” – Kyrie Irving – Brooklyn Nets

11. Nike KD 4 “Undefeated” – Derrick Jones Jr. – Miami Heat

10. Adidas D.O.N. Issue #1 “Mailman” – Donovan Mitchell – Utah Jazz

9. Nike Kobe 4 Protro P.E. – Paul Millsap – Denver Nuggets

8. Nike Kobe 6 “Helicopter” – Trey Lyles – San Antonio Spurs

7. Adidas Harden Vol. 4 “Pink Lemonade” – James Harden – Houston Rockets

6. Nike Lebron XVII “2K” – Lebron James – Los Angeles Lakers

5. Nike Kyrie 5 “Spongebob” (Unreleased) – Kyrie Irving – Brooklyn Nets

4. Nike Kobe 4 Protro P.E. – DeMar DeRozan – San Antonio Spurs

3. Jordan VI “Travis Scott” – P.J. Tucker – Houston Rockets

2. Jordan XXXIV P.E. – Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics

1. Nike Lebron XVII “Red Carpet” – Lebron James – Los Angeles Lakers

Oct 28, 2019 No Comments

Rick Ross and Dwyane Wade Release Two Budding Sneakers Thanks to Mutual Miami Connection

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by Brendon Schunck | Oct 23, 2019 | Celebs, Featured, Sneaker Releases, Sneakers, uncategorised

NBA legend and former Miami Heat superstar Dwyane Wade has recently collaborated with Rick Ross on a special release of two of his Way of Wade silhouettes. D-Wade’s loyalty to Miami is well-known and Rick Ross’ affinity for the same city can be seen throughout his music material and heard in his songs. Both individuals reside in Miami and teamed up for Li-Ning’s first-ever collaboration with a musical artist.

The Way of Wade 7, or “WoW 7”, is outfitted in a black/purple/gold/red color combination. This is the same model that D-Wade wore during his last season in the NBA. This WoW 7 also comes equipped with a removable crown that velcros onto the heel counter. When the crown is removed, “self made” can be seen written across the heel in red. The pull tabs say “Rick Ro$$” and Dwyane Wade’s Li-Ning ‘Way of Wade’ logo can be seen predominantly across the foot in red.

The second pair released from Li-Ning and the duo of “The Boss” and D-Wade is the Way of Wade Essence Ace II. This sneaker is definitely a lifestyle choice in contrasting with the more performance-based WoW 7. Dressed in an all red upper, this Essence Ace II combines breathable mesh as well as high quality tumbled leather. Li-Ning is well-known for using very high quality materials on their footwear, especially for the Way of Wade line. “Rick Ro$$” is written in black on the side of the midsoles in addition to some Chinese inscriptions as well. Gold lace tips and a red lace lock round out this pair’s details.

Both pairs released October 19th on Li-Ning’s Way of Wade website as well as The Edition Sneaker Boutique in Miami, FL. The Essence Ace II retails for $200 and the WoW 7 fetches a price of $300.

Oct 23, 2019 No Comments

The Evolution of Chris Paul’s Signature Sneaker Line

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by Brendon Schunck | Oct 16, 2019 | Featured, NBA, Sneaker Releases, Sneakers, uncategorised

Chris Paul, or “CP3”, has been taking the NBA by storm for the better part of a decade. Throughout his time in the league he has been seen as one of the top-tier point guards while playing with a hard-nose mentality every opponent and teammate has come to expect. CP3 is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, NBA Rookie of the Year (2006), 9x NBA All-Defensive Team, 8x All-NBA Team, and 9x NBA All-Star. With all of these accolades and achievements, Chris Paul has been doing it relatively under the radar in his own signature shoes.

Out of college, Chris Paul was the fourth overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft and originally signed a four-year, $600,000 a year deal with Nike. I mean who could forget Chris Paul being a part of Nike’s now famous “Second Coming” commercial from 2007? Paul eventually gravitated towards the Jordan Brand division under Nike, as Michael Jordan hand-picks his brand endorsers himself. Fast forward to 2019 and Chris Paul is releasing his 12th signature shoe with Jordan Brand, yes you read that right, his TWELFTH signature sneaker.

Jordan Brand and Chris Paul have been releasing iterations for the All-Star PG every year since 2008. His shoes fit the bill for fast, athletic point guards, who change direction quickly. Premier Jordan Brand schools like North Carolina, Marquette, Georgetown, Florida, Oklahoma, and California (before they switched to Under Armour) all get outfitted with CP3’s every season. Of course Chris Paul’s former school, Wake Forest, gets special Jordan Brand CP3 sneakers, even though they’re a Nike school.

Chris Paul is second only to Carmelo Anthony, in number of signature shoes under the Jordan Brand wing. Paul currently sits at 12 while Anthony and JB decided to halt their signature sneaker line after 13 models. Russell Westbrook is the only other current Jordan Brand signature sneaker athlete. It’s hard having a shoe do high numbers these days in the market when you’re competing with the likes of the Nike Lebron, KD, Kyrie, Kobe, and Paul George lines, Adidas Harden and Lillard shoes, as well as Steph Curry’s Under Armour series. Putting that aside, it is a major feat to have a signature sneaker line last as long as Chris Paul’s has.

CP has a new home this season with the Oklahoma City Thunder and will look to remain on the top shelf of NBA point guards while wearing his Jordan CP3.XII. Fan-favorites from Paul’s shoe line when it comes to both looks and on-court performance are the CP3.VI and CP3.VII respectively. In fact, Chris Paul’s signature sneakers have even graced NikeiD.com for complete personalization options. Five models in the line have also featured “AE” models to release after the initial launch run. These “AE” CP3’s are basically a takedown version of that year’s signature shoe and feature lighter weight materials and mesh for more ventilation. His new 12th model looks to be a hit as Paul has already been seen rocking a few eye-catching colorways. Look below to see the evolution of the Chris Paul signature sneaker line and to see just why MJ hand-picked CP3 to represent his brand.

Jordan CP3.I (2008)

Jordan CP3.II (2009)

Jordan CP3.III (2010)

Jordan CP3.IV (2011)

Jordan CP3.IV Advance (2011)

Jordan CP 2’Quick (2011)

Jordan CP3.V (2011)

Jordan CP3.VI (2012)

Jordan CP3.VI AE (2013)

Jordan CP3.VII (2013)

Jordan CP3.VII AE (2014)

Jordan CP3.VIII (2014)

Jordan CP3.VIII AE (2015)

Jordan CP3.IX (2015)

Jordan CP3.IX AE (2016)

Jordan CP3.X (2016)

Jordan CP3.X AE (2017)

Jordan CP3.XI (2018)

Jordan CP3.XII (2019)

Oct 16, 2019 No Comments

Literally ‘Walk on Water’ With these Special Nike Air Maxes

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by Brendon Schunck | Oct 10, 2019 | Featured, Sneaker Releases, Sneakers, uncategorised

Matthew 14:25 – “Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.”

We already know the Air Max bubble on Nike’s historic sneakers is second-to-none. How about one-upping that and filling it with actual holy water? Well that’s exactly what Brooklyn-based creative label MSCHF did. They took an all white pair of Air Max 97’s and basically customized them to fit the bill as if they were doing a collaboration with Jesus Christ himself.

The self-proclaimed ‘Jesus Shoes’ by MSCHF were made to kind of poke fun at collaboration culture. “We wanted to make a statement about how absurd collab culture has gotten. We were wondering, what would a collab with Jesus Christ look like?” The shoes have been filled with 60cc of holy water and then dyed a more blue-ish tint so it can be further visible. The pair also features the bible verse Matthew 14:25 on the lateral side as well as a steel crucifix acting as a lace lock ornament. The water injected into the shoes is directly from the River Jordan and actually blessed by a priest. The heel of the right shoe says “INRI” which stems from the Latin phrase ‘Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum’ which means ‘Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.’

The ‘Jesus Shoes’ come equipped with red insoles as paying homage to the Vatican in addition to also being scented with Frankincense. Let it be known that this release is in no way affiliated with Nike and is a pure custom done by the Brooklyn company. This release sold out within a minute on October 8th, with seemingly everyone wanting to be able to ‘walk on water.’ The original retail price was $1,425 (again a nod to the Matthew 14:25 Bible verse), but now fetch a price of around $3,000 on StockX. Are you feeling holy enough to wear shoes that are this blessed?

Oct 10, 2019 No Comments

Top 10 Kicks Worn for 2019 NBA Media Day

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by Brendon Schunck | Oct 1, 2019 | Featured, NBA, Sneakers, uncategorised

The 2019 NBA Media Day has officially come and gone and your top sneakerheads in the league did not disappoint with what was on their feet. Established veterans as well as NBA newcomers showed out in sneakers both new and old. There were many fresh faces to be seen in their new team threads. New teams mean new color options when it comes to players looking to match their kicks to their uniforms. Kobe IV Protro PE’s were seen in abundance on players like Anthony Davis, Isaiah Thomas, Devin Booker, and Trevor Ariza. Newly signed brand endorsers Zion Williamson (Jordan Brand), Kyle Kuzma (Puma), Jason Tatum (Jordan Brand), and RJ Barrett (Puma) were seen sporting the latest sneakers their respective companies had to offer. Signature athletes including Steph Curry (Under Armour), Damian Lillard (Adidas), and James Harden (Adidas) were all photographed wearing their brand new silhouettes for the upcoming season. Some players chose to bring it back to classic Nike basketball, sporting some of the brand’s and players’ most memorable signature sneakers – most notably Lebron James and Paul George. Trimming all of the sneakers worn on media day down to just 10 was no easy task. We looked for criteria like wearing something no one has ever seen before, wearing a shoe that is a classic plus has ties to the current team you’re on, originality, creativity, exclusivity, and something no one else would be seen wearing on media day as well. Look below to see the Top 10 Kicks Worn for Media Day and let us know what you think and who got snubbed.