Anthony Edwards set the sneaker world ablaze when he released his signature shoe, the AE1s, during the 2023-24 season. The lows were even more of a sensation when he whipped out the orange mural colorway during the Timberwolves’ iconic sweep against the Suns in 2024. Now, Ant is finally moving onto his 2nd signature.
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Most athletes like LeBron James, Damian Lillard, Kevin Durant, amongst others, pull out a new sneaker every year. The KD18 just released and leaks of the 19 have already surfaced. Ant’s shoes were so special in terms of audience reception and overall build that he spent two years wearing them.
“We know what his ceiling is. It’s pretty high, if there is one,” said Eric Wise, the global GM of Adidas basketball. “He’s skyrocketing. He feels like a part of us. It doesn’t feel like a different athlete from a different brand.”
What’s been incredibly noticeable about the AE1s’ run has been their brilliant marketing. Adidas bombarded fans with some of the best advertisements the sneaker world has seen since the mid 2010s, garnering quite a bit of praise.
That same level of marketing hasn’t taken a step back in the slightest when it comes to their latest update. In their signature orange background, Anthony Edwards and his best friend, Nick Maddox, speak on if fans are ready for the AE2. He was seen wearing the new silhouette in the commercial.
Fans were so impressed they decided to take shots at others. “Elite marketing. Nike could never,” said one fan. “They [Adidas] let Jordan get away in the 80s, they’re not going to make the same mistake again,” exclaimed another.
Adidas is killing it with the marketing for this kid. They let Jordan get away in the 80s, they’re not going to make the same mistake again.
— CeeJay (@cee_jay12489) August 24, 2025
Nike’s marketing for their shoes has been a bit lackluster when compared to what Adidas has been doing for Anthony Edwards. They seem to play on similar gimmicks for their athletes with their adverts all looking more or less, the same.
Devin Booker’s marketing for the Book 1s was quite solid in hindsight as his lowkey demeanor was brought into the vibe of the commercials. He’s on a similar trajectory to Ant in terms of having his signature shoe run for two seasons.
As for the AE2s, there are a fare bit of details out. The price is rumored to be around $130, with it being released any time between late 2025 to align with the start of the season or early 2026 to align with the All-Star game. The 1s came out December 2023 so perhaps Adidas is looking for a similar time frame given how successful it was for them the first go-around.
