Duke Instagram Zion Williamson lacing up a new pair of Nike Kyries.
Zion Williamson’s shoes have been a big topic of discussion since his foot came through his sneakers and caused a knee injury against North Carolina. The wait for Williamson’s return to the court is over as well as his decision on what shoes he will be wearing for Duke. After having issues with the Nike Paul George shoes (PG 2.5’s), Williamson is now wearing Kyrie Irving’s signature Kyrie 4’s.
Duke tweeted out a photo of Williamson lacing up the Kyrie 4’s just hours before the big man would return against Syracuse. There was no chance Williamson would wear anything but the Swoosh given Duke is a Nike school. The move makes sense given Irving’s ties to Duke. The video below shows some of the exclusive colorways Irving has sent his former school over the years.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel, Williamson opted for a shoe that was higher-cut to help support his frame.
The expectation is yes. After Zion’s Paul George-model Nikes exploded beneath him, change is inevitable. Those sneakers were lower cut, and the strong expectation around the Duke program is that Williamson will wear higher-cut LeBron James- or Kyrie Irving-model Nikes that will better support his massive frame and raw power.
Some Are Suggesting That Zion Chose the Wrong Shoes
GettyZion Williamson was wearing the Nike Paul George shoes when his foot went through them.
Williamson’s entire life is being debated by fans and media alike. From his decision to play to his sneakers, everyone has an opinion on the Duke big man. USA Today’s Andrew Joseph suggested that Williamson should have selected LeBron James signature shoe over the Kyrie’s.
The Kyrie 4 gets solid marks across the board for its support and traction, but it’s not the best shoe Nike has to offer. It isn’t even the newest edition of the Nike Kyrie sneaker. The Kyrie 5 came out this year, so Williamson won’t even be wearing the Kyrie shoe with the latest engineering. In all likelihood, Williamson is choosing a shoe he is familiar with. He’s worn the Kyrie 4 this season, and over the summer, he told Bronny James that his favorite shoe was the Kyrie.
Honestly, the shoe that Williamson should have been wearing all along was the Nike LeBron 16. From a support and traction standpoint, you won’t find a better shoe for a player of Williamson’s size. Nike invests the most resources into developing LeBron’s signature shoe each year, and the LeBron 16 is the brand’s best version yet.
Zion Created Buzz by Wearing an Adidas Sweatsuit While He Was Recovering From a Knee Injury
What do you call Zion Williamson Instagramming live in an outfit with 12 adidas logos? Negotiations.
Williamson is going to be recruited by every major shoe company once he is eligible to start earning money off his likeness. Williamson appeared in an Instagram live video in a black Adidas sweatsuit. Action Network’s Darren Rovell suggested this was some form of negotiations by Williamson.
“What do you call Zion Williamson Instagramming live in an outfit with 12 adidas logos? Negotiations,” Rovell noted on Twitter.
What is more likely is Williamson still has a lot of Adidas gear from his high school days. There is no doubt that Williamson will be highly coveted by Adidas, Nike and a host of other shoe companies.