Earlier this year, Phoenix Suns’ star Devin Booker was given by Nike his first signature shoe, the “Booker 1.” While the shoes have not been met with the kind of enthusiasm Booker might have envisaged, he is clearly delighted, as evidenced by his recent interview with GQ Sports. Talking about his $150 Nike offering, Booker claimed that he took inspiration from a range of NBA superstars, including Kobe Bryant and his teammate Kevin Durant. Claiming that both of them were his 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥hood idols, Booker said that his first shoe was basically a dream come true.
However, feedback from fans has not been the most ideal. A range of fans have questioned the overall style and make. Others have claimed that Nike had no need to replace Paul George’s iconic series with Booker’s, something that seems to have little impact on his spirits.
Devin Booker would have fought with people for KD’s sneakers a few years ago
During the interview, Booker talked about how his shoes’ style took inspiration from the Kobe 4, 5 and 6 that he wore in recent seasons. Claiming to be a sneakerhead himself, Booker said that he often wore KD’s shoes in particular back during college.
Booker claimed that he was a release-date kind of guy, which meant that he would have been desperate for some of KD’s recent releases just a few years ago. Durant has released a range of retro-styled sneakers in recent years, including the KD14 and KD15, released in 2021 and 22, respectively:
“I talk about it with him [KD] all the time. I know he’s bringing back some retro styles this year. I’ve seen the colors that he’s bringing in the locker room and I’m like ‘Yo, this is nostalgia right here. I would have fought somebody for these a few years ago, and now I’m sitting right next to you.’”
Booker went on to claim that one of his aims with the shoe design was that he wanted to ensure people were able to wear them off-court as well. He went on to compliment his new teammate further, claiming that he had a KD poster on his wall, and has always had great respect for the player.
The Phoenix Suns are one of the favorites to win NBA title
Most NBA fans will be excited about the way the Phoenix Suns play in the upcoming season. An already talented roster has seen the introduction of Bradley Beal, who averaged 23.2 points this season.
Expected to slot in straight into the starting lineup, the Suns are looking strong despite the recent Chris Paul move. With Devin Booker, KD, and now Beal to bank on for points, Charles Barkley was recently of the opinion that the most important Suns pieces will be DeAndre Ayton.
There is little doubt that the Suns are again hugely offensively stacked. However, according to Barkley, it is Ayton who will need to be fit, and do the dirty work, especially against the bigger teams in the upcoming season.
