A totally distinct shoe for a distinct player.
The summer of Victor Wembanyama starts now. The 20-year-old wunderkind is about to be one of the faces of the 2024 Paris Olympics as he takes centerstage for his home country of France. The French are coming off a silver medal in men’s basketball at the last Tokyo Olympics, and the arrival of their 7’5 superfreak into the lineup is pushing the hype to the next level. After the Olympics, Wembanyama will return to the San Antonio Spurs for the highly anticipated second season, where the team will try to compete for the play-in tournament in the Western Conference.
Wembanyama is already on a lucrative sponsorship deal with Nike, and the company is rolling several new things around Wemby ahead of the Olympics. There’s already an awesome new teaser ad out there with the slogan “winning isn’t for everyone.” Now comes the release of the first prototype for Wembanyama’s debut signature shoe.
Everyone agreed Nike knocked it out of the park with Wembanyama’s new logo. What do you think of this shoe?
Nike unveiled a prototype shoe for Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama in Paris.
– The shoe is inspired by “his love for science fiction” and the “bismuth stone he wore on draft night.”
– He requested a low-profile design because he likes to walk barefoot. pic.twitter.com/oO9k3kpNx3
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 23, 2024
Here’s a video:
We know Wembanyama loves science fiction. We know he likes the “alien” moniker, because he goes so far beyond the “unicorn” archetype of other bigs who suddenly look traditional by comparison. Part of me feels like I’m too old to properly grade this shoe as a 37-year-old, but I appreciate that it’s so distinct and unlike anything we’ve really seen before — just like Wemby himself.
Wembanyama’s second season is going to be so much fun to watch. He somehow exceeded expectations last year despite being one of the most hyped rookies in league history. The Spurs should have done a little more this offseason to put a better team around him, but Wemby vs. the world is a fascinating fight by itself. Let it begin at his hometown Paris Olympics.
