It\u2019s why Allen is desperate to find another pair.<\/p>\n
To be clear, he hasn\u2019t worn the same pair of shoes since his first NBA game. Even he understands that would be malpractice, given how important functional shoes are to his profession.<\/p>\n
It makes sense, though, why Allen\u2019s run with the Nike Kyrie 3 TB Black White might be coming to an end. Allen wears a size 17. The Kyrie 3 colorway Allen loves was released in 2017 and hasn\u2019t been re-released. Nike doesn\u2019t make as many pairs of general release shoes for the feet of giants as they do for us mortals because, well, there are more of us than there are of them. Naturally, there was always going to be an expiration date on Allen\u2019s relationship with that specific sneaker.<\/p>\n
Yet Allen is holding out hope that someone out there has a pair stashed in his basement, garage or sneaker room and will soon post the shoes online so he can keep his streak alive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have more colors of the same pair, but it\u2019s the black-and-white ones that really touch my soul,\u201d Allen said. \u201cI practice in Kyrie 8s or something like that, so that I can try to make these ones last as long as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Players have sneaker deals. Some are sneakerheads off the court. Social media accounts are dedicated to showcasing the best NBA kicks nightly. It\u2019s one of those games within the game that drives interest in the league.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2259492648-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n Jarrett Allen, wearing his Nike Kyrie 3 TB Black White shoes during a game in Portland. (Soobum Im \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Most players wear approximately 10 pairs of shoes in a season. Others wear 50 or more. The difference can depend on several factors \u2014 such as status, level of interest, comfort or superstition.<\/p>\n
Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham, a Nike athlete with a signature shoe expected to come out next season, and Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey, a Puma athlete, both told The Athletic that they wear around 60 pairs in a season. Through their endorsement deals, both players are granted access to more colors and bigger-sized shoes than the average player or person.<\/p>\n
Giddey prefers to take advantage of those privileges.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I\u2019m playing in them, I don\u2019t let them get too worn down,\u201d Giddey said. \u201cI\u2019ll wear them three, four or five times and then go on to a different pair. I\u2019ve got so many colors that I like to change it up.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, what do players do with all these shoes when they\u2019re done?\u00a0The answers vary.<\/p>\n
Some keep them at home or in their lockers at the arena or practice facility. Some toss them out if the shoes are too worn. Those who aren\u2019t superstitious give shoes with meaning behind them \u2014 worn in a big game or for a career-defining moment \u2014 to their loved ones. And some players are more charitable with their game-worn shoes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a donation box at practice,\u201d Mike Conley of the Minnesota Timberwolves said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI sign them and give them away,\u201d Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie said. \u201cSome I do throw away, like the ones that are super, super beat up. If no one asks for them, I\u2019ll just toss them. Often though, after a game, a kid will be like, \u2018Can I get your shoes?\u2019 and I\u2019ll be like, \u2018Yeah, sure.’\u201d<\/p>\n
Cunningham, New York Knicks forward Josh Hart and Timberwolves big man Naz Reid have some similarities when it comes to wearing kicks in a game. All three can get a fresh pair out of a box, do their pregame routine in the new shoes, and then immediately play in them. Only once in Cunningham\u2019s career did he wear a shoe in a game without giving it a test run first, and that was earlier this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly time I wore a pair for the first time during the game was in Charlotte,\u201d Cunningham said. \u201cMy high school coach had just passed. I flew in a high school colorway, and those got in right before the game, so I put those on. Other than that, I\u2019ll at least warm up in them.\u201d<\/p>\n
In talking to many NBA players for this story, that\u2019s a point of contention. Some feel it\u2019s blasphemous not to break in shoes by practicing in them first before wearing them in a game \u2014 like Champagnie, who can\u2019t comprehend why a player would do that to their feet.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like when I have too many to play in, my foot doesn\u2019t adjust to one,\u201d he said. \u201cI either play in Kobe 4s, Kobe 6s \u2026 I have one pair of Kobe 5s and Nike GTs. Nothing else. I might try a different brand and see how I like it. But I have to break it in first and see how I like it. I can\u2019t just start playing in a shoe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hart has his own quirks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like my shoes to fit tight,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Hart only plays in Kobe\u2019s signature shoe, except for the one time during his rookie year when he wore a pair of Kyrie\u2019s Nike sneaker for one half. The same goes for Reid, who will only play in Kobe 6s and 8s and estimates that he wears just north of 10 pairs of shoes in a season.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-1208971934-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n Josh Hart of the Knicks, wearing the Kobe 5 Big Stage sneakers during a game in 2020. (Katelyn Mulcahy \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s probably my superstition,\u201d Reid said. \u201cI just like the fresh ones, the new feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody can also be finicky when it comes to keeping sneakers. In his locker, Moody has a pair of Devin Booker\u2019s first signature shoe with Nike. He doesn\u2019t wear them anymore; they just serve as a reminder of what Moody feels was a pivotal moment in his career.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a really good summer and I worked out in them the whole time,\u201d Moody said. \u201cI didn\u2019t plan on working out in them. I keep them just as a memory of that summer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Conley\u2019s quirk is a bit more traditional.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy superstition is all based on winning,\u201d he said. \u201cIf we win a bunch of games in a row, I stay in the same pair. I won\u2019t change until we lose. Then we lose, all right, now I can change them.\u201d<\/p>\n
When a player decides to part with a sneaker is based on preference. Conley changes into a new pair when the soles are worn out, or when the seam on the edge of the sneaker starts breaking away. Hart moves on when the sneakers are no longer firm.<\/p>\n
Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell recently signed with Chinese shoe company Anta. It\u2019s the first time in six years that McConnell has been with a shoe company. When McConnell was a sneaker free agent, Indiana\u2019s equipment managers would buy his preferred shoes \u2014 the Nike signature shoes of Ja Morant and Irving, who is now an Anta athlete \u2014 in bulk at the start of the year.<\/p>\n
McConnell goes through close to 10 pair in a season, switching them out based on hygiene.<\/p>\n
\u201cI find a shoe that I like and don\u2019t really deviate from that shoe until there are holes or the sweat stains are too gross,\u201d McConnell said.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2156419159-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n The Anta KAI 1 Chief H\u00e9l\u00e0 shoe worn by its namesake Kyrie Irving in 2024. (Maddie Meyer \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
The players who have unlimited access to shoes have a relationship that is a bit more excessive.<\/p>\n
Cunningham has spent most of his career wearing variations of the Nike GT Cut. It\u2019s his choice based on comfort. Cunningham has the ability to wear any Nike shoe \u2014 with player signatures such as Kevin Durant or LeBron James \u2014 but it\u2019s the GT Cut he\u2019s gravitated toward until his own shoe debuts.<\/p>\n
As a signature Nike athlete, Cunningham has a different relationship with on-court sneakers than your average NBA player. Given the 24-year-old\u2019s rising status, there are times when Nike will ask Cunningham to debut a new sneaker or color of a current shoe for big games or events. The same goes for Brunson, who is the official face of Kobe Bryant\u2019s line. For example, at this year\u2019s All-Star game, Cunningham debuted one of Nike\u2019s newest basketball sneakers, the ST Charge. It was the first time the shoe had seen an NBA floor. Brunson debuted the \u201cWarning Label\u201d Kobe 3 low, which also first touched the hardwood during All-Star weekend.<\/p>\n
Yet, Cunningham does have the option to wear something else despite Nike\u2019s nudge.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were like, \u2018All-Star would be a great chance to get them out there and see them. It\u2019s a great platform to show the masses,’\u201d Cunningham said. \u201cMoments like that, they\u2019ll ask for me to wear this, but if I\u2019m not comfortable in the shoe, I don\u2019t have to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Being the official face of Bryant\u2019s signature shoe is a full-circle moment for Brunson. The Los Angeles Lakers legend was one of his favorite players growing up. When Brunson was in high school, Bryant personally handed him a pair of his Christmas 9s at the United Center after a game. There\u2019s even more of a personal connection as Brunson\u2019s mother, Sandra, was a volleyball teammate and roommate at Temple University with Bryant\u2019s sister, Sharia.<\/p>\n
As Brunson became an NBA household name as a member of the Knicks, sneaker opportunities were presented to him left and right. Brunson decided to be under the Bryant umbrella. At the end of 2025, Brunson received his first player-exclusive sneaker as part of the Kobe brand. The \u201cStatue of Liberty\u201d Kobe 6 is teal with a gold Nike swoosh and trim. It also honors the landmark Statue of Liberty.<\/p>\n
PE shoes are limited pairs, some made only for the player, that are a variation of another player\u2019s shoe. The \u201cStatue of Liberty\u201d PE ultimately was released to the public, but only about 9,000 pairs were made for the general public. They retailed for $200 and are now selling on the secondary market for more than $700, depending on the size.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means the world to me to be able to wear his shoe and have a little bit of input on it as well,\u201d Brunson said. \u201cHis family is amazing. I\u2019m just really thankful.\u201d<\/p>\n
The relationship between sneakers and NBA players can be as different as the paths these athletes take to make it to this point. It\u2019s all based on personal preference. Some are bigger stars than others and, therefore, have different access to shoes. Some like to make fashion statements through the shoes, wearing rare kicks to try and impress not only the masses but their colleagues, as well. Some don\u2019t care what\u2019s on their feet, as long as they\u2019re comfortable.<\/p>\n
Basketball and sneakers will always be synonymous with one another. The best part is that the beauty of the relationship is always in the eye of the beholder.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just stubborn now at this point in my career,\u201d Allen said of wearing the same shoe for nine seasons. \u201cIt\u2019s how I am as a person. I don\u2019t know why I do it, but I do it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jarrett Allen needs your help. The Cleveland Cavaliers center \u2014 his perfectly curated afro kept neat inside a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":560488,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[6417,671,11949,7329,8174,690,760,1753,4576,2243,5050,3441,11952,1055,7741,8173,360,11951,355,6932,361,6402,11950,2113,6415,6406,6404,2116,99,1794,2970,4219,11948],"class_list":{"0":"post-560487","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-atlanta-hawks","9":"tag-brooklyn-nets","10":"tag-charlotte-hornets","11":"tag-chicago-bulls","12":"tag-cleveland-cavaliers","13":"tag-culture","14":"tag-dallas-mavericks","15":"tag-denver-nuggets","16":"tag-detroit-pistons","17":"tag-golden-state-warriors","18":"tag-houston-rockets","19":"tag-indiana-pacers","20":"tag-los-angeles-clippers","21":"tag-los-angeles-lakers","22":"tag-memphis-grizzlies","23":"tag-miami-heat","24":"tag-milwaukee-bucks","25":"tag-minnesota-timberwolves","26":"tag-nba","27":"tag-new-orleans-pelicans","28":"tag-new-york-knicks","29":"tag-oklahoma-city-thunder","30":"tag-orlando-magic","31":"tag-philadelphia-76ers","32":"tag-phoenix-suns","33":"tag-portland-trail-blazers","34":"tag-sacramento-kings","35":"tag-san-antonio-spurs","36":"tag-sports","37":"tag-sports-business","38":"tag-toronto-raptors","39":"tag-utah-jazz","40":"tag-washington-wizards"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=560487"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560487\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/560488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=560487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=560487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=560487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}