Every pair of basketball shoes debuted in NBA playoffs so far

Every pair of basketball shoes debuted in NBA playoffs so far

So far, Round 1 of the NBA playoffs hasn’t provided much drama, with the higher seeds going 8-0 in Game 1s over the weekend. What has managed to turn some heads, however, are all the new kicks players are showing off for the first time.

From Anthony Edwards to Paolo Banchero, several players wore new silhouettes over the weekend, setting up an expensive summer for those interested in keeping up with all the upcoming releases.

Here’s a closer look at which players have rocked new shoes so far this postseason.

Anthony Edwards: Adidas AE 1 Low “Mural”

Before Saturday’s Game 1 between the Timberwolves and Suns, Adidas and Anthony Edwards unveiled the new AE 1 Low with a short promotional video of the Minnesota guard dropping the top on a Saab 900 convertible.

During the game, Ant debuted the AE 1 low in the “Mural” colorway — which features a peach-colored midsole with a black upper —  in front of a raucous crowd at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Edwards finished Game 1 with 33 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Even better news for fans of Edwards, it was later announced that the AE 1 lows will retail for $110, which is on the cheaper end of the basketball shoe price spectrum.

The AE1 lows are expected to drop at some point this summer.

Luka Doncic: Jordan Luka 3 “Photo Finish”

While Game 1 went poorly for Luka Doncic and the rest of the Dallas Mavericks, Sunday also saw the Slovenian superstar debut his latest signature sneaker on the court.

Doncic rocked the “Photo Finish” colorway of the Luka 3 in the loss to the Clippers. The silhouette for the design features Jordan Brand’s IsoPlate technology as well as a Cushion 3.0 foam midsole.

According to Jordan Brand, the Luka 3 was inspired by Doncic’s love of sports cars. The colorway names “Photo Finish” as well as the previously revealed “Midnight Racer” are nods to this.

Donic finished Game 1 against the Clippers with 33 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. Outside of Doncic and Kyrie Irving (31), no other Mavericks’ player had more than 12 points in the loss.

The Jordan Luka 3 is set to release in July with a retail price of $130.

Paolo Banchero: Jordan 39 “Lead”

While Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero doesn’t have his own signature shoe, he debuted the newest silhouette for Jordan Brand — the Jordan 39 — in the “Lead” colorway in Game 1 against Cleveland.

Playing in his first career playoff game, Banchero had 24-7-5 in the loss to the Cavs on Saturday. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game during the regular season.

Later in the day, footwear reporter Nick DePaula showed off a different colorway of the Jordan 39. Dubbed the “University” colorway, this shoe features navy blue accents across a grey mesh upper and a transparent midsole.

According to an article by Complex, the inspiration for the Jordan 39 was Michael Jordan’s cross-step. After designers showed Jordan videos of him doing the move in a pair of Jordan 6s during the 1991 playoffs, MJ reportedly told them the limitations of the older shoe — namely how hard it was on his feet and toes when playing a particularly intense game.

Donovan Mitchell: Adidas DON Issue 6 “Camp”

Also rocking a new pair of kicks in Game 1 between Cleveland and Orlando was Donovan Mitchell, who debuted the latest silhouette of his signature shoe — the DON Issue 6 — in the “Camp” colorway.

The DON 6 is made, according to Complex, with a “multilayered synthetic and mesh build, large carbon fiber insets for added stability and a circular traction pattern for quick cuts and lateral movement.”

The DON 6 also features Adidas’ Lightstrike Pro cushioning technology, which is also found in some of the brand’s running shoes.

This is the first edition of the DON to come out in a low cut, which gives it a wearable appeal on and off the court.

Mitchell finished the Game 1 win over the Magic with a team-high 30 points.

Damian Lillard: Adidas Dame 9 

Damian Lillard’s 35 points in the first half of Game 1 against the Pacers were the most in a postseason half of any player in Bucks history. Perhaps Lillard was feeling inspired by debuting his latest signature shoe — the Adidas Dame 9 — in the victory over Indiana.

The Dame 9 was officially unveiled during the All-Star Break in February, but it wasn’t until Sunday that Lillard wore the shoes in a game for the first time.

There is no news on the retail release of the Dame 9, though it will drop at some point in 2024.

Lillard’s first signature shoe, the D Lillard 1, came out during the All-Star guard’s third NBA season in 2015. Since then, he has rocked several different silhouettes — including the popular Dame 4 and the lightweight Dame 8.

This upcoming year should be a strong one for Adidas in terms of sales with all the new silhouettes debuting from some of the game’s most dynamic players.

Kevin Durant: Nike KD 17

While the colorway doesn’t have an official name yet, Kevin Durant debuted his new Nike KD 17 signature shoes in all-black during the Suns’ Game 1 loss to Minnesota.

Durant has had some variation of his own signature shoe with Nike since entering the league in 2007. The latest silhouette features a wavy upper inspired by the brand’s Air Max Plus shoes.

Two other colorways have been unveiled for the KD 17 so far — a blue, black and white version named “Penny” that drops in May — and a gold, black and orange version named “Sunset” that released back on April 12 and retailed for $150.

Durant scored 31 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the loss to Minnesota on Saturday.