Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Reveals a Blacked-Out Version of His Converse Sneaker
While most athletes turn to reds, pinks or flowers to commemorate their mothers through the sneakers, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is taking a much darker approach.
The Oklahoma City Thunder superstar revealed the Converse Shai 001 “Charm Black,” the third colorway for his first signature sneaker. In an Instagram caption, Gilgeous-Alexander wrote: “My mother’s love for the color black inspired this design – elegant, mysterious, yet unapologetically her. This one is for you, Charmaine.”
Every iteration of the Shai 001, which remains unreleased, shown thus far has been draped in a single colorway. The sneaker was revealed in a “Butter” colorway reminiscent of Timberland’s iconic “Wheat” boot, and its second colorway comes in “Ares Grey.”
After posting the shoe to Instagram Sunday, Gilgeous-Alexander wore his “Charm Blacks” during the Thunder’s game 1 loss to the Denver Nuggets Monday night.
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Gilgeous-Alexander, who holds the title of creative director for Converse Basketball, designed the Shai 001 himself — sketches and all. Its puffy upper incorporates SGA’s logo, which he also sketched himself, and the zippered shroud is intended to be worn closed on the court and open off of it.
“I’ve been working with top athletes for 20 years in this field, and I’ve never met an athlete that can sketch like Shai,” Steven Keating, global senior creative director of Converse Footwear, told journalists on a video call ahead of the Shai 001’s reveal. “When we first met, I introduced myself and told him that my entire role here is to bring your vision to life. I had no idea what that meant at the moment. I didn’t know what kind of design skills he had.
No release date has been confirmed for the Converse Shai 001 “Charm Black,” but the “Butter” launch colorway is scheduled to release in the fall. Pricing is set at $130.
