Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Nick DePaula: Bucks rookie Nate Ament is debuting his “Brew Crew” Reebok Engine A 26 PE today — as the Milwaukee Brewers begin the World Series. The 1-of-1 PE features his player logo on the tongue and a classic navy / yellow Brewers colorway.
Having the dazzling, high-flying Ja Morant playing down the street from Nike’s headquarters could boost the company’s comeback efforts as it works to rebuild its focus on sports. The Blazers practice and play about 12 miles from Nike’s corporate campus. “Having Ja in Portland is special,” said Ann Miller, Nike’s top sports marketing executive, in an email. “Our campus is just down the road, and now one of our signature athletes is playing in front of the community where thousands of Nike teammates live, work, and play.”
After a recent exhibition game, Morant said more exciting products are on the way as the season gets underway. “We’ve got some heat on the way for sure,” he said. Morant added that he’s involved in every aspect of his signature line. “Nothing goes unless I say so,” he said, describing his endorsement deal with Nike as a “great partnership.”
“People here are crushed that Ja is gone,” said Chris Burns, founder of the sneaker industry analysis firm ARCH, who lives in Memphis. Morant previously played for the Memphis Grizzlies. “He used to be all over the place in Memphis,” Burns said, noting Morant’s charitable work in the community. “He was Memphis.”
Advertisement
The ANTA Kai 1 Chief Hélà Red is the first Kai 1 to drop this year, following a strong run of Kai 3 colorways, a Kaibrid mix between all three Kai models, and plenty from Irving’s lifestyle line. With Kyrie Irving and ANTA set to bring the Kai 1 back for a new season, the Chief Hélà Red colorway is a personal story in sneaker form, “inspired by Kyrie Irving’s journey to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, where he completed his ancestral ceremony and received the name ‘Little Mountain.’”
Nick DePaula: Kawhi Leonard is set to make his official Raptors return tonight in the New Balance Kawhi V. Leonard dropped a New Balance ad detailing his basketball journey as part of the launch of his 5th signature shoe:
Sportico: The latest colorway of Reebok’s high-performing Engine A Basketball Shoes has arrived. Inspired by Darius Acuff Jr.'s, the all-new player-exclusive red colorway features Acuff’s new signature logo on the tongue. “The Engine A was the shoe that brought me to the brand. The first time I wore these I knew where I wanted to be, so it makes sense to start my pro journey with a PE of what started it all. Stay tuned for Acuff 1.” - Darius Acuff Jr.
Nick DePaula: OFFICIAL: NY Knicks champ Landry Shamet has signed a multi-year shoe deal with Serious Player Only. 📄✍️ Shamet tested out shoes from a variety of brands, and was impressed by the performance of the upstart SPO brand’s sneakers featuring its interchangeable drop-in midsole tech.
According to Conner, more than 70 WNBA players and 175 NBA players wear A’ja Wilson’s or Sabrina Ionescu’s signature footwear. “Shoes by players like Angel Reese, A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu aren’t just being worn by women and girls; they’ve got a wide audience,” said Travonne Edwards, a senior cultural partnerships strategist at JD Sports.
Advertisement
In previous years, players in both the NBA and WNBA would debut new shoes for special occasions — think NBA Christmas and All-Star games. Wilson, Reese and Clark have all debuted new colorways at various points during the regular season. Every day is Christmas. The rise of women’s basketball footwear reflects the influence of the athletes themselves. As the game continues to grow, so does their impact on the sport and culture. “Women’s basketball finally has the visibility and cultural momentum to match the talent that was already there,” Osifeso said. “The players are becoming cultural figures and characters with unique personal identities, not just female athletes. “People are buying into women’s basketball shoes because the product, and the women wearing them, feel culturally alive.”
Notably, Irving’s agreement with Anta included less guaranteed money than he was getting from Nike, but would reward him handsomely if he was able to move product. According to industry sources who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect relationships in the industry, Irving receives a double-digit percentage cut of sales on his signature line — more than twice the 5 percent rate signature athletes often receive. Irving has two years remaining on his deal with Anta. The sides have discussed an extension, industry sources told The Athletic, but have yet to come to an agreement. So far, though, footwear industry insiders generally view the marriage between Irving and Anta as a success.
“Obviously, it was — let’s call it — a unique set of circumstances to become a sneaker free agent when you are really at one of the heights of the sneakers game at that point,” said Nick DePaula, a longtime footwear reporter who works as a consultant in the sportswear industry. “He was one of the best-sellers across the entire landscape.” “I think there was a lot of curiosity of going from Nike to a brand that’s less-known in the U.S. Will that work? I would say that the adoption and interest has been really strong.”
According to industry sources, Anta also made a strong push to sign Cade Cunningham in the summer of 2025 when the Detroit Pistons star’s future with Nike was uncertain. Within Anta, there was belief that Cunningham could be pried away. However, Cunningham chose to re-sign with Nike in November, inking a six-year deal that included plans for a signature sneaker. While Anta has missed out on adding premium players in the past two years, its pursuit of Curry and Cunningham speaks to its ambition. Anta surpassed Nike in terms of its Chinese market share in 2022, and it wants to continue growing in the Western Hemisphere.
