It isn’t easy to break into the signature shoe game. Years after retirement, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant still have a stranglehold on the market, but every once in a while, a player comes along to carve out his own niche. Anthony Edward has done just that with his adidas AE1s, which have been some of the hottest kicks on the market since they first came out in late 2023.
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Edwards and his shoes were the cover story of a recent issue of Complex magazine, a fact that makes sense given that Complex awarded the AE1s the top spot in its 2024 end-of-year shoe rankings.
Most NBA fans know Edwards as a cocky player, but one who can back that confidence with his court play. He and his Timberwolves famously took down Nikola Jokic and the defending champion Nuggets in the Western Conference semis last year. He earned extra notoriety telling Charles Barkley, “Bring ya ass,” when Chuck said he hadn’t been to Minnesota in about 20 years.
Edwards even had a starring turn as a villain in the 2022 Adam Sandler movie Hustle, playing a character who was unrelentingly vicious on the court. It may shock fans to know then that when it comes to the success of his signature shoe, Edwards is humble about it.
“I definitely was surprised. I knew they was hard myself, but of course you don’t know what everybody is going to think. I would be driving to the games and looking outside of the bus or at the airport, and I would see everybody rocking them.”
The AE1s have been so popular that fans are clamoring for more.
Anthony Edwards and the AE1s are both still on the rise
Edwards is one of the best young players in the game, but he made the surprising admission that he still believes he has a long way to go.
“I would say I haven’t been playing like it this year. This is my first time where I’m having my own team, and I haven’t been showing it. I don’t think I’m a superstar yet.”
The Wolves have struggled compared to last year after stunningly trading away Karl-Anthony Towns in the offseason. Edwards has even voiced frustration on the way he’s double-teamed more often now. Still, he has the Wolves at 31-25 and seventh in the Western Conference playoff race, so they’re still right in the mix to make some noise again.
Edwards is taking a patient approach with his shoes, slowly releasing new colorways over the past year (all of which sell out instantly) with more on the way. He’s still working on the AE2s and is asking fans to be patient, telling Complex,
“I feel like I know what the outside world wants when it comes to shoes and stuff, lifestyle. So it’s hard for me not to make something that’s going to pop. Be patient. It’s on the way. Can’t rush it.”
The best is yet to come for Edwards and his shoes. If basketball fans need a little patience, so be it.
