UPDATE 6/16/26: It’s confirmed, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is making his way back to the Nike Basketball family. There is still unknown of what’s next for his signature shoes.
Are they dropping the Nike SHAI 002, or introducing a brand new shoe? Guess we will just have to wait and find out.
Nike added Gilgeous-Alexander to their signature athlete lineup, which consists of some of the biggest NBA stars. “We are excited to welcome Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Nike Basketball signature family,” Nike said in a statement. “Following two straight MVP campaigns, we can’t wait to build on Shai’s impressive legacy with Converse as one of the most innovative players in the game.”
This may foreshadow Converse being sold off sometime soon as they continue to flop. We will have more information as it becomes available. Stay tuned.
Original Story:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may have just leaked the next step in his signature sneaker series.
The Converse Basketball athlete posted an animated clip to his Instagram Story of his logo spinning around an axle. As the mark spins faster it morphs into two Nike Swooshes for a second before reforming back into Shai’s logo.
While nothing has been confirmed, the image of Nike crawling out of his logo isn’t likely a coincidence. Given that Converse and Nike are sister brands, Gilgeous-Alexander might be teasing a joint effort for an upcoming shoe in his line.
Players have crossed-over from one Nike brand to another in the past, it just doesn’t happen very frequently. Shai Gilgeous- Alexander did it last 2020 when he went from Nike to Converse. Other player brand jumps include Jayson Tatum (Nike to Jordan Brand), John Wall (Reebok to adidas), and Dwyane Wade (Converse to Jordan).
Nike and Converse have collaborated through Players’ signature shoes before, most recently Devin Booker’s collection. Booker recently released the Nike Book 1 “Chuck Taylor” PE which pulled details from Converse’ iconic basketball shoe.
It’s still a mystery what Gilgeous-Alexander is hinting at. It could be a special edition of SHAI 001 in a new colorway. It could be SHAI 002. Or, it could be something else entirely.
More information should drop as Converse and Gilgeous-Alexander near a release date for his next signature shoe.
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