The long wait for Devin Booker‘s first signature sneaker will come to an end during the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend.
Nike has announced the first general release for the Book 1, which will come in a grey and cream “Mirage” colorway. The sneaker was first announced in September and launched in an all-orange colorway in December — but only 500 pairs were made available in Miami to coincide with Art Basel.
Booker tacitly agreed with complaints about the rollout of his sneaker in an Instagram comment two weeks ago. Under a post from Complex Sneakers with the text, “Is Nike fumbling the D Book 1 launch?” the Phoenix Suns star said, “A lot of people feel the same way,” along with the emoji face with a tear drop. After the comment went viral, Shaquille O’Neal took the opportunity to invite Booker to join Reebok, where O’Neal is now the president of Basketball.
Complaints about the Book 1 have generally boiled down to two points, and it’s unclear which of the two Booker agrees with, if not both. The first is that the sneaker is too derivative, taking after the shape of the Air Force 1 and Blazer and also borrowing colorways from iconic sneakers, rather than creating more of its own narrative. As a result of the look that’s more in line with sneakers from 40-plus years ago, sneakerheads have also cast doubt on its performance bonafides. There is some cognitive dissonance with that line of thinking, however, with the long-running sentiment that contemporary basketball sneakers tend to have little crossover appeal in the lifestyle space.
The second complaint is simply that Nike has been too slow, making fans wait five months to purchase the sneaker — unless they just so happened to be in Miami, far from where Booker’s home team fan base is.
The wait will soon come to a end with the “Mirage” colorway, which Nike says is “all about Book’s magician-like mastery and the haze he leaves defenders lurching in while he’s getting buckets.” A mix of grey and cream appears across the upper, which looks to use combination of nubuck, leather and mesh. Orange appears on the insole, while a white midsole sits atop a translucent white-ish outsole. Unlike many of the colorways Booker has worn on the court this season, “Mirage” doesn’t have a clear counterpart in the Nike archives.
The Nike Book 1 “Mirage” will release Feb. 17 through the SNKRS app. Pricing is set at $140.
About the Author:
Ian Servantes is a Senior Trending News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
