Nike announces Devin Booker's first signature shoe, the Nike Book 1
Devin Booker is a popular man these days. When he’s not playing basketball alongside Kevin Durant on the Phoenix Suns or hanging out with Drake in the offseason, the former Kentucky Wildcat likes to show off his taste for fashion. He dipped into that industry in a different way this week.
On Thursday, Booker, who is signed to Nike, teased the release of his first signature shoe, which will be called the “Nike Book 1”. It’s a basketball court-ready shoe that can also be used in everyday life. It is expected to be released in spring 2024 with an expected cost of $150, per Hypebeast, and it will be available in two different colorways.
The design is heavily influenced by Booker, with references to his hometown of Grand Rapids, MI, and his high school of Moss Point in Mississippi. The words “CHAPTER ONE” are written across the heels of each shoe, which was inspired by the spine of a book. The top of the shoe Booker teased is all orange, an ode to his current franchise the Phoenix Suns, the team’s primary colors being orange and purple.
“Early on, we landed on the phrase ‘future classic,’” Booker said of his new shoe, according to Nike’s press release. “We landed on the idea of the shoe combining lifestyle and performance worlds. The goal was to create something that would be timeless.”
Booker recently signed a contract extension with Nike that will keep him with the popular sportswear company through 2029. He was first brought on by Nike prior to the Suns drafting him in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft and was then extended for the first time by the company in 2018. While Nike has already released multiple Booker-inspired sneakers, this will be his first official signature shoe.
It’s a well-deserved honor, too. At just 26 years old, Booker is considered one of the best basketball players in the entire world and arguably the most talented shooting guard out there. He’s a three-time All-Star and one-time All-NBA member through eight seasons — all with Phoenix — and continues to elevate his game. During the 2022-23 season, Booker averaged a career-best 27.8 points to go along with 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 34.6 minutes per outing. He finished with shooting splits of 49.4/35.1/85.5 and helped lead Phoenix to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
Will you purchase the “Book 1” when it drops next year?
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Booker coaching Kentucky targets
A signature shoe isn’t all Booker has going on right now though. According to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog, Booker is set to coach in the Nike World Basketball Festival on Friday and Saturday in New York City. He’ll be joined as a coach by the likes of current Suns teammate Kevin Durant along with Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant.
While there, Booker will have the opportunity to coach and be around several of Kentucky’s top recruiting targets. Among the high schoolers expected to participate include class of 2024 prospects Boogie Fland, Patrick Ngongba, Tre Johnson, and Karter Knox, along with class of 2025 prospects such as Meleek Thomas, Jasper Johnson, Jayden Quaintance, Will Riley, Caleb Wilson, and Jalen Haralson.
The Nike World Basketball Festival is a two-day tournament that features 40 boys and 40 girls players from 23 states and three different countries. It is the final tournament of the summer hosted by Nike, which has already made stops in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and Toronto. The championship games on Saturday will be streamed live on the NBA App and on YouTube.
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