{"id":430163,"date":"2026-01-22T14:58:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T14:58:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/430163\/"},"modified":"2026-01-22T14:58:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T14:58:13","slug":"behind-76ers-star-tyrese-maxeys-path-to-a-signature-shoe-with-new-balance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/430163\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind 76ers star Tyrese Maxey\u2019s path to a signature shoe with New Balance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since first signing with New Balance<\/a> three years ago, Philadelphia 76ers<\/a> star Tyrese Maxey<\/a> has held firm on his belief that he didn\u2019t take a big risk in joining a resurgent brand over competitors more established in basketball.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew Balance took a chance on me, honestly \u2014 the other way around,\u201d Maxey previously told Andscape after signing his first endorsement deal with the Boston-based sportswear company in 2023. Now, New Balance is taking an even bigger chance on the 25-year-old point guard, who will receive a signature shoe this year.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania reported<\/a> that Maxey and the brand agreed to a multiyear contract extension that includes his own signature line. The news was reported a day after Maxey \u2014 who ranks third in the league in scoring this season with 30 points a game \u2014 was named a starter<\/a> in next month\u2019s 2026 NBA All-Star Game for the first time in his six-year career. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re so excited that Tyrese was named an All-Star starter and to get to share this moment with him,\u201d Naveen Lokesh, New Balance\u2019s global head of basketball marketing, said in an official statement. \u201cHe represents everything we value at New Balance: hard work, authenticity and confidence. So, working together to bring his first signature shoe to life is a natural step in celebrating who he is and where his journey is headed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey drives to the basket during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Jan. 16 in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

Emilee Chinn\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

With the announcement of his signature line, Maxey will become the 35th active NBA player with a signature shoe. He also joins Los Angeles Clippers six-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard as New Balance\u2019s only two signature headliners in basketball, though Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg is also expected to receive a signature line from the brand eventually. <\/p>\n

Coincidentally, this year marks the 40th anniversary of Los Angeles Lakers legend James Worthy\u2019s 1986 New Balance \u201cWorthy Express,\u201d the brand\u2019s first signature basketball shoe.<\/p>\n

The writing on the wall of New Balance potentially delivering Maxey his own shoe first surfaced in 2024. That\u2019s when the brand made him the headliner of its Hesi Low v2 basketball shoe, and unveiled a specially designed signature logo for him \u2014 both within several months of the point guard making his first career All-Star appearance. <\/p>\n

The insignia interlocking Maxey\u2019s initials appeared on his player-exclusive (PE) pairs of Hesi Low v2s, and he featured the logo on his personal website.<\/p>\n

How New Balance is building an NBA dynasty \u2013 AndscapeRead now<\/a><\/p>\n

Following the on-court debut of his signature logo, Maxey spoke about the possibility of one day earning a signature shoe from New Balance.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, I\u2019m all in with New Balance. Whatever the brand\u2019s plans are for the future, I\u2019ll be happy with them,\u201d Maxey told Andscape in 2024. \u201cObviously, every player wants their own signature shoe. But at the same time I\u2019m extremely happy with headlining the Hesi Lows, the PEs and all the colorways. They\u2019ve really made me feel a part of the family, and I\u2019m thankful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Maxey, a Dallas native drafted 21st overall by the 76ers in 2020, began his career wearing Nike, he never officially signed a rookie endorsement deal with the brand. <\/p>\n

This allowed New Balance to target Maxey early, pinpointing him in 2021 during the second half of his rookie season. The brand provided him with NB sweatsuits to wear off court, as well as the brand\u2019s new performance basketball shoe to test on court.<\/p>\n

Last summer, during an appearance in Boston at the brand\u2019s inaugural Beantown Elite youth basketball camp, Maxey\u2019s parents, Denyse and Tyrone Maxey, detailed the family\u2019s decision-making process that led their son to join New Balance initially. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re from the South, where Tyrese grew up primarily wearing another brand,\u201d Denyse Maxey told Andscape. \u201cWe honestly weren\u2019t that familiar with New Balance, because it wasn\u2019t that popular down South, particularly for athletics and basketball. <\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, when Tyrese got drafted to a team on the East Coast, we quickly learned that there\u2019s a different type of style there. So, when New Balance first came up on our radar, we started to look into the brand a little more \u2014 and even just how they approached Tyrese was different from other brands and partnerships.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey talks to the media after a game against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 12 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.<\/p>\n

Vaughn Ridley\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey does his grandmother proud \u2013 AndscapeRead now<\/a><\/p>\n

After New Balance began consistently pursuing Maxey early in his career, Denyse Maxey helped her son weigh the options for his first sneaker endorsement deal \u2014 reminiscent of the role Michael Jordan\u2019s mother, Deloris, played in persuading him to consider an offer from Nike that forever changed the course of footwear history, and signature basketball shoes. <\/p>\n

\u201cI was really pushing Tyrese toward New Balance,\u201d Denyse Maxey said. \u201cOnce we did our research, found out how big the brand was on the East Coast, and on who he is outside of being just an athlete, joining New Balance made sense to me. Then, I started talking to him about it around his second year in the league. He wasn\u2019t quite sure, because he wanted to stick with the brand he grew up on. But I told him, \u2018You have to start making decisions based on how a partner views you \u2014 Tyrese Maxey \u2014 and align yourself with those who have the same ideals and goals.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI told Tyrese, \u2018Now that you\u2019re in this position, you have to ask yourself: Does a particular brand align with who I am? What are the brand\u2019s core values? What is it doing in the community? Does the shoe feel good on my feet?\u2019 Because, you can work on what it looks like down the road, but does it feel good while you\u2019re performing? So, those are the things that we looked at as a family when he started to consider transitioning. Then, everything else just kind of fell into place.\u201d<\/p>\n

A sneakerhead’s dream: Dive into the all-time Signature Sneaker DatabaseRead now<\/a><\/p>\n

With more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit work and community investment, Denyse Maxey is executive director of the Tyrese Maxey Foundation. Its mission: Build a legacy of leadership and meaningful influence, through faith-based values and direct engagement by the organization\u2019s star namesake, in both the Dallas and Philadelphia communities. <\/p>\n

One particular brand wanted to help.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat sold me on New Balance is when I looked at the brand\u2019s official proposal and his engagement in the community was included,\u201d Denyse Maxey told Andscape. \u201cNew Balance had things outlined in their proposal that other brands didn\u2019t, which showed me that they cared about who our son was.\u201d<\/p>\n

In January 2023, after years of courting and negotiations, New Balance officially signed Maxey to a multiyear footwear and apparel endorsement deal, adding him to the brand\u2019s steadily growing roster of basketball players \u2014 a budding dynasty in basketball and footwear, if you will.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the beginning, New Balance committed to, of course, support Tyrese, but also our family and his foundation,\u201d Tyrone Maxey told Andscape. \u201cThat\u2019s honestly all we could ask for as parents.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Immediately, Maxey became one of the faces of New Balance\u2019s prolific \u201cWe Got Now\u201d commercial, featured in the 30-second spot that since its April 2024 debut has garnered millions of views online and over several billion TV impressions. Maxey is the first player to be seen in the \u201cNew Balance Hoops\u201d version, which was updated in February 2025. He also appears in his own seven-second edition<\/a>, uploaded preemptively to the brand\u2019s YouTube channel two weeks ago. <\/p>\n

Before leveraging a new deal that included a signature line, Maxey received the chance to participate in the footwear industry-standard 18-to-24-month design process for his own renditions of both the Hesi Low v2 basketball silhouette and the New Balance 1906R lifestyle shoe. Inspired by his lifelong love for superheroes and comic book culture, the Tyrese Maxey x New Balance Hero Pack<\/a> marked the guard\u2019s first retail release.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoing the Hero Pack was my first time working on a shoe,\u201d Maxey told Andscape in 2025. \u201cIt was interesting to see how long the design process takes. But New Balance does a really good job of creating shoes, because the quality of what they create is great. It was really fun to be a part of the process of doing a shoe for both on and off the court.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a big superhero and Marvel guy. So, I just wanted people to see a different side of me. I\u2019m a hero for certain people on the court, but I\u2019m also trying to be a hero off the court as a person by brightening people\u2019s days.\u201d<\/p>\n

On July 31, 2025, Maxey\u2019s special-edition Hero Pack dropped exclusively in stores at select Foot Locker locations in his hometown of Dallas and his team\u2019s city of Philadelphia, where he and his family made an appearance to celebrate the collaboration.<\/p>\n

\"NewTyrese Maxey previously partnered with New Balance to release the \u201cHero Pack,\u201d a special edition footwear collection inspired by his love of superheroes and comic book art.<\/p>\n

New Balance<\/p>\n

\u201cIt felt surreal,\u201d Denyse Maxey said. \u201cWe weren\u2019t even going to go to the pop-up for the release, but Tyrese encouraged us to come. To go there and sit in that Foot Locker, where people stood in line for a shoe he designed, it was emotional. Just to know how much hard work our son put in.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat makes us happy is not only did New Balance deliver on their promise, but the brand saw our kid as a person. They didn\u2019t just see him as someone to sell their brand. New Balance saw him as Tyrese, and they cared and listened enough to him to put things in place that he wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Maxey\u2019s father, a former college basketball player at Washington State, the release day of the Hero Pack fulfilled a lifelong dream for him and his son.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost athletes, what they aspire to have is their own shoe,\u201d Tyrone Maxey said. \u201cSo, now that Tyrese\u2019s is here, it\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet, Maxey\u2019s own shoe hadn\u2019t arrived just yet. Behind the scenes, he\u2019s been working on the design process for the debut model that will officially coronate his signature line, which was announced this week.<\/p>\n

UCLA freshman Sienna Betts signs NIL endorsement deal with New Balance \u2013 AndscapeRead now<\/a><\/p>\n

The story behind New Balance\u2019s \u2018Call Me Champion\u2019 campaign for Coco Gauff \u2013 AndscapeRead now<\/a><\/p>\n

Following New Balance\u2019s return to basketball in 2018, after more than a decade of dormancy in the sport, Leonard became the first NBA player since Worthy in the mid-1980s to receive a signature basketball shoe, with the 2020 unveiling of the New Balance Kawhi line<\/a>, now on its fourth model. Behind Worthy and Leonard, Maxey becomes just the third basketball player in the company\u2019s 120-year history to get the signature treatment.<\/p>\n

Maxey also joins an exclusive list of global athletes who have received signature shoes and cleats from New Balance, including five-time Major League Baseball All-Star Francisco Lindor, two-time Grand Slam tennis champion Coco Gauff<\/a>, and four-time MLB MVP Shohei Ohtani. Olympic hurdler\/sprinter Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and international soccer star Bukayo Saka have earned signature collections, and NFL MVP Josh Allen signed a major deal with the brand last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love rewarding exceptional talent with signature shoes like we did with Kawhi Leonard, and across other sports, such as Shohei Ohtani and Coco Gauff,\u201d Lokesh told Andscape<\/a> in 2024. \u201cWe have so many rising stars in hoops that we\u2019re excited to support for many years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last August, ahead of his sixth NBA season, Maxey doubled down on his commitment to New Balance and on his gratitude for the chance the brand took on him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou won\u2019t see me in anything but New Balance \u2014 ever. I\u2019m so pro-New Balance, it\u2019s ridiculous,\u201d Maxey told Andscape. \u201cNew Balance has done so much for me and really blessed me with an opportunity of a lifetime. They\u2019ll have all my support, and whatever I can do to continue to help sell the brand\u2019s dream, I\u2019ll do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Soon, Maxey will expand New Balance Hoops\u2019 vision by releasing his own signature shoe.<\/p>\n

Aaron Dodson is a sports and culture writer, primarily covering footwear endorsement deals and sneaker culture.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Since first signing with New Balance three years ago, Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey has held firm on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":430164,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-430163","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-basketball","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-basketball","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=430163"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430163\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/430164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=430163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=430163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=430163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}