Thirty NBA players wore one of LeBron James' current Nike sneakers this seasonNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
Signature sneakers this season took the NBA "by storm like never before," according to Nick DePaula of ESPN.com. Only 11 current players "have a signature shoe with a U.S.-based basketball company," while eight more have signature models with a Chinese company, but nearly 70% of players "played in a signature shoe." Thirty players wore one of LeBron James' current Nike sneakers, including several younger players who "began to wear vintage LeBrons from a decade ago as a show of appreciation." That is similar to how players "adopted Kobe Bryant's and Michael Jordan's series during the final chapters of their careers." Warriors F Kevin Durant, who has a signature Nike shoe, said, "It's moreso just cool to see a KD on another guy's shoe. I was growing up watching people wear Jordans and play in Jordans a lot. Now to have my own signature shoe and to have my peers wearing it, it's pretty fun to see." DePaula noted more than 20 players wore the Adidas Dame 4, the latest version of Trail Blazers G Damian Lillard's signature show. Lillard said that he "doesn't perceive any advantage or think much" of other players wearing his shoe "other than to appreciate the support and added visibility." Signature shoes, once a niche part of the overall basketball sneaker market, "now dominate at retail." The "majority of both Nike Basketball and Under Armour's shoe sales come from their current namesake lines" (ESPN.com, 5/28).
LOOK WHAT THE STEPH IS COOKING: FOOTWEAR NEWS' Peter Verry noted Warriors G Stephen Curry "wore the 'UA Takeover_1' colorway of his latest signature sneaker, the Under Armour Curry 5," last night during Game 2 of the NBA Finals. The look is "predominantly black and features a white midsole with gold speckles and gold accents on the upper." The colorway Curry wore is "sold out in men's sizing" (FOOTWEARNEWS.com, 6/3).
