When’s the last time performance basketball shoes sold out like this? When’s the last time we were even excited about performance basketball outside of NBA All Star Weekend or Mamba Day? For a while, it had felt like signature basketball sneakers had ‘fallen off’. But that’s starting to change. There’s excitement in the space again.
The excitement isn’t only coming from fan-favorites like the KD or LeBron line either. It’s not even only coming from Nike – who had a chokehold on the market in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s. There’s been a changing of the guard, and a new regime of NBA and WNBA stars, and new brands are breathing life to a once-stagnant facet of sneaker culture.
Parity is at an all-time high, with models from every major sneaker company flying off shelves. Brands who used to shy way from performance basketball are making huge pushes, and Chinese brands are gaining serious market share with big signings and affordable price-points. The best basketball marketing campaign in the last year? adidas Basketball. The biggest splash at NBA All-Star Weekend? Puma Hoops. The biggest head turned of the year? Anta.
Things have also changed for Nike as a whole. The biggest splash from their basketball division in the last year came by way of the Sabrina 1. Not only their largest roll-out for a women’s signature sneaker, ever; but highly regarded as one of the best performing in their current basketball arsenal. Fans are eager for diversity in the space, and it’s showing by the way their spending their dollars.
The best part is this interest isn’t being artificially inflated by resellers taking all the stock and raising the price. For the most part, all of these sneakers are hovering around their retail price on the secondary market. What does this imply? That real humans are buying the shoes – not to flip – but to wear. It’s a shame this even needs to be said, but it’s a reminder that high resale price ≠ good shoe.
On top of all of this, we’re also getting a wave of ‘protros’ and retros of some of Nike’s most iconic (and best performing) basketball shoes of all time. A steady stream of Kobe 6’s has helped hoopers scratch their hype itch; and re-releases of some of the best KD and LeBron sneakers ever is bringing the nostalgia back. We may never get back to lacing up ‘Big Bang’ LeBron 9’s with a pair of slim-fit denim; but consistent sell-outs, exciting marketing, the best tech we’ve ever seen, and a newfound energy in the space has set us up for a new wave in performance basketball.