Paul George went shoe shopping with Complex while he heals from his hyperextended knee. He discussed his shoe history and the designs that most inspire him there.
PG13 discussed the inspirations behind his personal sneaker collection: “For me, it was always having this idea of, like, old sneakers back in the day. Air Force 1s, the shoes that you could just pop on and, you know, mold and fit to your foot,”
Since joining the league in 2010, the nine-time All-Star has been a Nike athlete. The Nike PG1, his first signature sneaker, came out in 2017. The 34-year-old is often in some Kobes when he isn’t dominating his own PG line.
Paul George talks about being able to play in Air Force 1’s
It’s interesting to note that George has spent a large portion of the past few seasons wearing the Kobe IV Protro, in typical Californian flair. But throughout his remarkable career, he has also donned a wide range of other footwear. Joe La Puma of Complex asked the Philadelphia 76er if he could also play in casual footwear, referencing Rasheed Wallace, who was a dominant Trailblazer while wearing Air Force 1s during games.
Paul George responded as follows when asked if he could have done the same: “I think I could have. I mean I’ve played in a wide range of sneakers, from like Foamposites to Jordan 12s, 11s, 10s, 4s, you know, 3s. I’ve played in some shoes that people might not expect or fare well in those sneakers. But you know, my early stages in the NBA I was such a sneakerhead that it didn’t matter.”
Even if his sneaker background is diverse, Paul George is likely aware that some of his predecessors showed off their sneaker love in a much more opulent way.
