Zion Williamson was among the few rare ones given a signature shoe early in his career.
Even before Zion signed his first NBA contract or played his very first NBA game, the company was quick to ink him a massive 7-year deal worth $75 million in July 2019.
However, he has not bestowed a signature shoe early in his career. Like his fellow signature athlete, Luka Dončić, they used different kinds of signature sneakers before they were ultimately given their own labeled signature shoe.
If you are wondering what shoes Zion Williamson wore during his entire career in the NBA, you are not alone. Many people were also asking me the same question about what shoe he was wearing.
I’ve had the opportunity to scrutinize and try out some of the signature models that Zion Williamson wore throughout his basketball career.
Zion Williamson: What Were the Shoes He’s Worn in His Career?
For most of his playing career outside of the NBA, he mainly wears Nike signature shoes from fellow superstars LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Paul George.
However, when he signed up with the company, most of the sneakers he was allowed to wear were only Jordans.
So, in this article, we’ll mostly talk about Jordans in general. Zion has worn plenty of shoes with the brand outside his signature line that most people didn’t know about.
What Are the Shoes He Has Worn With the Jordan Brand?
During his tenure with the Jordan brand, he has worn many signature pairs every game.
When the New Orleans Pelicans drafted him in the 2019 NBA Draft, he signed worth $75 million with the company for the next 7 years.
And rightfully so; he has since worn them in almost all of the games he played for the franchise.
During his rookie season, he mostly wore the 34s, rocking many colorways.
It was also the apparent flagship model released by the Jordan brand during that year. So, he could mix and match different colorways depending on what his team’s jersey is rocking during the game.
In his sophomore season, right before the brand released his first signature sneaker, he would rock different colorways and player exclusives of the 35s.
The details and authenticity put by the company when Zion wore those were something to be admired because of how well the company catered to his needs and preferences.
What Are The Shoes That Zion Has Worn During His High School Days?
Zion gained popularity all over the world with his insane dunks and insane high-flying videos on a game-to-game basis that was recorded and uploaded into a mixtape to YouTube.
For some, it was some of the most vicious dunks they have witnessed by a teenager in a game.
During his high school days when he attended Spartanburg in South Carolina, Zion wore different signature shoes, most notably Adidas signature lines, including Harden Vol.1, Dame 2, and the Adidas Crazy Explosive Low 2017.
If you noticed, these are Adidas basketball shoes, right?
Because three of these models are known for their amazing cushioning, making them suited for Zion Williamson’s aerial tactics and sheer weight, most shoes struggle to cope.
Zion also rocked the Nike Kyrie 2, but it was notorious for its lack of cushioning, which I personally felt was not in his arsenal because it lacked the feature he wanted in the shoe.
In addition, he mostly wore Adidas basketball shoes because the brand sponsored his AAU team.
Zion was also noted for playing alongside his fellow draftee, signature athlete, and superstar Ja Morant.
What Are the Shoes He Has Worn During His College Days?
Zion Williamson took his talents to Duke University as it was the most viable option because it was near his hometown.
He played alongside notable NBA standout players Cam Reddish and RJ Barrett.
While Zion only played for the Blue Devils for a year, I was also delighted by how many signature sneakers he would wear during his short stint with the team.
This time, he switched brands and played with Nike basketball sneakers for most of his time at Duke.
There are two most memorable signature lines he wore during his college days. It was the Nike PG 2s colorway and Kyrie lines.
Once again, as I have noticed, he relied once more on basketball sneakers that offer plenty of cushioning and shock-absorbing features.
In particular, Zion liked mixing and matching the Nike Kyrie 5s and Nike Kyrie 4s.
It was one of his most worn signature kicks at Duke, wearing notable colorways and player exclusives.
However, Zion had his biggest sneaker moment during his short time at Duke on February 20, 2019.
Zion blew the PG 2.5s up during a game versus their rivals, North Carolina.
As he planted his foot to pivot, the shoe blew up, and his foot shot out. As a result, he fell awkwardly on the floor ending his game quickly with a knee strain.
The sight was seen all over the world, and media outlets blew the news of him blowing up his sneakers.
It doesn’t help that it was a Nike PG 2.5, and immediately Nike share price dipped in February and the following months because of it.
What Are the Shoes He Has Worn During His NBA Career?
Zion Williamson has been in the league for 3 years already, implying he could only wear a handful of signature lines from the company to his name.
1. Jordan 34
While Zion was waiting for his signature pair to be released, he was rocking the 34s in different colorways.
It almost felt like he only wore different colorways of the 34s for the entirety of the season.
Well, this doesn’t hold back that he had an excellent rookie campaign leading to being named All-Rookie First Team.
Despite his efforts, Zion would only play 24 games, and the Rookie of the Year award went to his former teammate, Ja Morant.
Still, it was quite apparent that Zion would mostly wear different models from the company for most of his rookie campaign.
And for the most part, the 34s were known for how crazy the cushioning is and how well it performed on indoor courts, a feature Zion has learned the love over the years.
2. Jordan 35
In his sophomore year, the flagship model released during this time was the Jordan 35.
As a result, this would mean he would wear it most of the time like it was during his rookie year with the 34s while waiting for his signature sneaker to be released.
As I have mentioned, Zion could rock different colorways and player-exclusive kicks with the 34s during his rookie year, but this season took things to a different level.
Zion Williamson would wear multiple colorways and player exclusives, but it almost felt like a different sneaker each game.
During this season, Zion was named to the 2021 NBA All-Star Team and helped the New Orleans Pelicans improve.
While he greatly improved in almost all statistical categories, he still missed plenty of games during the season.
The Pelicans had a dismal record to show for, ending their campaign short of a playoff appearance.
3. Zion 1
Zion missed the 2021-2022 season due to a Jones fracture requiring subsequent surgery.
However, when he returned during the 2022-2023 season, the Jordan brand wasn’t deterred and released his first signature sneaker, “Zion 1”, after months of speculation.
It was released during the first quarter of 2021, and much to the delight of the fans, it didn’t disappoint. These kicks were a massive hit when it was released.
The signature sneaker accommodated Zion’s alien-like athleticism, sheer size, and explosiveness. His designers read him a book about how they designed this particular one.
One of its amazing features is the full-length Air Strobel unit stacked with a bottom-loaded Zoom Air Unit for great shock absorption and impact protection features and a padded tongue.
It featured a wide base to accommodate Zion’s wide foot and provide maximum stability.
Also, the tongue was one of the major points of the shoe, as it was made with extra padding to help put off pressure during lacing.
In addition, the herringbone traction design was the icing on the cake, as it was known to bite any court easily.
Overall, Zion enjoyed his first signature sneaker to the fullest. The shoe was designed to follow the concepts of breathability, protection, superhero armor, and freedom of movement.
4. Zion 2
In June 2022, it didn’t take long before Zion got his second signature sneaker, the Zion 2.
While the first Zion pair was impressive in its own right, modifications, and upgrades were needed to accommodate Zion’s playstyle.
The Zion 2 featured a forefoot Zoom Air unit and a midsole featuring an injected phylon. The heel was infused with half Air Strobel Unit to answer cushioning and shock absorption issues.
Like the previous pair, the Zion 2 is centered around cushioning and shock absorption.
The Zion 2 shoe is great in all facets. Its traction is definitely excellent, the materials used were premium, and the infused techs on this shoe were innovative in every way.
The only problem with the Zion 2s was that it wasn’t built for the outdoors, as the sneaker attracted a lot of dust, which is why it is best played indoors.
Conclusion
Not many players in the country, especially in the sport of basketball, are as physically blessed and gifted in terms of talent like Zion Williamson.
It takes a lot of skill and hard work to accomplish what Zion has done early in his career, and it would just be a matter of time before results come to fruition.
Zion Williamson is a freak of nature and has been one of the most dominant forces this sport has ever seen.
Let’s hope that we will see Zion playing more on the court than on the bench for the foreseeable future and that he avoids extended injuries in the long haul.
Feature Image credit: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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