At last, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Converse’s first signature shoe has been revealed. The introduction of the SHAI 001 comes a year after we connected with SGA at 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend, where he embraced being the face of Converse Basketball and its Weapon campaign. Shortly thereafter, reports of him having his own signature shoe appeared and he was later appointed the creative director of Converse Basketball and unveiled his own logo last December. As SGA enters his fifth year signed with Converse, he now presents the culmination of his hard work — the SHAI 001.
Designed to be as versatile as SGA is on the court, the SHAI 001 is for those “who refuse to be limited by conventional thinking or traditional expectations.” SGA’s involvement in its development goes beyond extensive wear testing — he played a key role in both the designing of his logo and the shoe’s style, even sharing several hand-drawn shoe sketches with the Converse team, which ultimately inspired the final design. It is also noted that the new model “harmonizes comfort, containment, durability and style into a performance basketball shoe that delivers an exceptional experience on and off the court,” while leveraging the resources of both Converse and Nike to create a shoe that delivers top-notch performance.
Looking closer at the sneaker itself, it first appears in a monochromatic “Butter” colorway that features a rich yellow throughout its build. As for its technical detailing, the upper is puffed at various locations, bringing depth to the shape via its winged shroud and collar. Extra padding is also included at the SGA-branded tongue for a snug fit. Its upper also features a zipper system that covers its inner bootie and Ghillie lacing system. The zipper utilizes a locking mechanism that allows it to be worn fully zipped, half-zipped or flipped down completely. Looking to the performance sole unit, it carries a Zoom Air bag at the forefoot while sporting a radial traction pattern at the outsole — emphasizing SGA’s swift cuts and explosive acceleration.
While SGA and Converse aren’t planning to drop the SHAI 001 until the fall, stay tuned for more updates as he’ll continue to appear in new colorways throughout the season. Look out for this “Butter” pair to appear on his feet during this weekend’s All-Star Game and if you’re in San Francisco, head over to the SHAI 001 STUDIO pop-up to check out the shoe in person.
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