Anthony Edwards’ Kicks Are Living in the Limelight
The Minnesota Timberwolves took Anthony Edwards with the number one overall pick during the 2020 NBA Draft. It wasn’t seen as a slam dunk at the time, but has since been a resounding success. With the Timberwolves rolling and Anthony Edwards quickly becoming a face of the NBA, his kicks are living in the limelight for Adidas.
Marketing an athlete isn’t a straightforward process, and there are plenty of misses along the way. When first taken out of Georgia by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards was overshadowed by the likes of LaMelo Ball.
With his own family hype tour, the Hornets took a kid that oozed with personality and it didn’t take long for Puma to snatch him up. Adidas played a slow game with Anthony Edwards, and now his kicks are living in the limelight because of it.
Unveil of Anthony Edwards’ AE 1
It wasn’t until this season, his fourth in the NBA, that Anthony Edwards got a pair of his own signature shoes from Adidas. Dubbed the AE 1, it was the ‘With Love” colorway that was first available to the masses. The shoes’ silhouette aren’t anything completely revolutionary, but they have an intriguing style and hold up extremely well on the court.
Who’s got the best signature shoe of the season?
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) October 25, 2023
Ant Edwards has his pick 🤣 pic.twitter.com/cFjnbikFBU
Adidas played their hand perfectly with a marketing campaign that struck the same color tones as the first offering in the line, and Edwards helped to fuel the fire by downplaying the competition while wearing his traditional smile. As the Timberwolves kept winning early in the season, the level of hype surrounding the AE 1 only continued to grow.
Related: Anthony Edwards is Over the Michael Jordan Talk
Then the Colorways Happened
As Edwards continued to establish himself as a leader for the Timberwolves, he was taking the national scene by storm. With the AE 1 quickly selling out on multiple websites, the desire to be like Ant was certainly there. Adidas continued to push the envelope by making sure to highlight different colorways of a pair of kicks that are living in the limelight.
Anthony Edwards…
— Alan Horton (@WolvesRadio) March 19, 2024
25 PTS | 6 RBS | 6 ASTS | 1 STL | 1 BLK | 0 TO | +15
ALL IN THE 2ND HALF.
Including this ridiculous dunk over John Collins. pic.twitter.com/maQ9hJXBe4
From the Stormtrooper’s to the All-Star’s, and from the Blue Velocity’s to the Georgia Clay’s, Edwards had busted out a whole plethora of different options. His on court accolades just continued to add up, and the shoes on his feet became a part of those moments. Throwing down a monster dunk in the Georgia Clay color elevated them to a level of popularity unmatched before they were officially launched.
Anthony Edwards’ adidas AE1 Low is now available in NBA 2K24 🐜🏀🎮🔥 pic.twitter.com/M65eDmv31I
— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) May 3, 2024
Edwards has also rotated through a handful of player editions and limited offerings. The McDonald’s All American shoe was widely applauded, and his football colorway going back to his youth with the Atlanta Vikings drew plenty of praise as well. In the playoffs he has busted out a low cut version of the AE 1, and while we haven’t seen a new colorway drop for a while now, the shoe continues to live in the limelight.
Not Since Jordan or LeBron
This sort of excitement over a pair of sneakers hasn’t been felt by an NBA player in quite some time. While many throughout the league have long standing relationships with different companies, and a handful have multiple iterations of their signature line dropped on a yearly basis, nothing has encapsulated what Edwards and Adidas are doing since LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
Related: Anthony Edwards is HIM but the Timberwolves are So Much More Than HIM
That isn’t to say the AE 1 is commanding incredible amounts on the resale market, but the desire for Edwards’ sneakers far surpasses the likes of Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, or Stephen Curry’s signature lines. Adidas has seen a 30% stock increase over the last six months, and resellers like StockX have seen the excitement he brings to the court translate to demand.
What Edwards is doing as a player is beyond impressive, but Adidas is also beyond excited in what he is doing it in. Right now, Edwards’ kicks are living in the limelight.
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