Trae Young took to the court Tuesday for the Atlanta Hawks’ first day of practice not in his own signature sneaker from Adidas but instead in a model from Anta.
The choice in footwear, which would likely be in violation of contract, comes after a report from Sole Retriever that Adidas will end the guards line after the forthcoming release of the Trae Young 4.
Young was seen in a Hawks Instagram post wearing the Anta Shock 5 “Heterochromia,” which released last December. For his Monday media day appearance, however, Young remained in-line with his endorsement by wearing the Trae Young 3, which launched in August 2023.
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Footwear News has reached out to Adidas for comment and will update if a response is given.
After beginning his career with Adidas as a rookie in 2018, Young signed a contract extension with the German brand at the end of 2020 that would see his signature line begin a year later. At that point, he had been named to the All-Rookie First Team and became an All-Star in his sophomore season. In the 2020-2021 season, him and the Hawks surprised many by reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. The following season, Young was then named to his first All-NBA Third Team for his first All-NBA honors.
The Hawks haven’t made it past the first round since the Eastern Conference Finals, though, and missed the playoffs altogether last season. And while Young is coming off his third All-Star selection, his signature sneakers haven’t come close to reaching his goal of becoming the “No.1 shoe seller in the league,” as his father Ray Young told The Athletic in 2020.
Instead, Anthony Edwards has emerged as the new face of Adidas Basketball with the highly praised launch of his first signature sneaker and an ascendence as one of the league’s most talented and exhilarating players. James Harden’s signature line has also seen a resurgence with new design language tying it to the Anthony Edwards 1 as part of a new era for Adidas’ hoops division.
Anta could prove alluring to Young, especially after the success of the Chinese brand’s launch of its first signature sneaker for Nike outcast Kyrie Irving.
The Adidas Trae Young 4 is expected to release during the holiday 2024 season, and so far only renderings of the shoe have surfaced.
About the Author:
Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
