Shoes are a big part of every NBA player’s game. It’s easy to forget about an athlete’s footwear as they run, shoot, and dunk, but a good pair of sneakers is as important as a good jersey. Everyone in the league puts a lot of stock into what goes on their feet, including Jaylen Brown.
The Celtics superstar is a fantastic player who favors a wide variety of sneakers rather than sticking with just one model. I’ll discuss why that is, and look at what else he’s worn during his career, throughout the following guide.
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Going Big Early
Brown came into the NBA with extremely lofty expectations. After balling out in college with the California Golden Bears, the shooting guard easily made the lottery. He went third in the draft, and never looked back. That netted him a strong rookie contract, as well as a shoe deal.
Despite the fact that almost no one in the 2016 draft had an early sneaker deal, Brown defied those odds. After some deliberation, he leveraged his hype and netted himself an impressive shoe deal with Adidas worth well over $1 million.
That’s an impressive contract for any rookie, and it cemented him as a real player. He chose to wear a range of their sneakers, including the Dame brand as well as the Pulse line, from 2016 to 2021. However, despite his love of the shoes, he stopped wearing them that year.
Switching It Up
For most superstars, a shoe brand is for life. That’s not always true, but it’s extremely rare for someone with a solid contract and a lot of fanfare to change brands. Even so, that’s exactly what Brown decided to do in 2021.
Rather than continuing to go with Adidas, the guard let his contract run out. That made him a shoe free agent, allowing him to lace up whatever he wants. He wore many Dame 6s during the last days of his deal, but began to switch it up once he got back on the market.
He wore the Grinch Kobe 6 Protros, in addition to the Hall of Fame Kobe 5, the Armour Curry 6’s, and various New Balance sneakers. He took full advantage of his freedom, and has enjoyed putting on a range of shoes depending on his mood and current style.
He spoke on the matter multiple times, and has expressed that he enjoys being a true free agent. As much as he enjoys what Adidas did for him, he wants to be on the cutting edge and is always looking for ways to further his brand rather than someone else’s.
Sneaker of the Future
Another big reason that Brown decided to let his Adidas deal die is he wants to be involved in a new shoe brand that has a new focus on things that are important to him. That includes giving back to the community, taking on environmental issues, and general activism.
To help with that, he has his own brand (7uice) that sells a variety of clothes, including hoodies, beaning, and t-shirts. They do not sell shoes, and it seems like he won’t be getting into the sneaker game anytime soon.
Another venture some people thought might lead to new footwear was his decision to become the first NBA athlete to sign with Kanye West’s marketing agency, Donda sports. It’s a big move for Brown, but it seems like there’s also no shoes with that deal either. We’ll have to wait.
Final Words
Most big time NBA players have a shoe brand, and they stick with it. Jaylen Brown isn’t just any other player. He always takes his business decisions seriously, and he’s someone who wants to make a difference no matter what he’s involved with.
Though it’s unlikely signing any sneaker contract would give him that opportunity right now, it’s impossible to know what the future holds.
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