There’s no better way to build hype around a new sneaker than to have a superstar wear it in public, way before release day.
This has been true for decades, since way back in the day when the first time you’d see the newest Jordan sneaker was on Michael’s feet in the playoffs.
Technology nowadays makes that a whole lot faster. Social media blows up with grainy zoomed-in photos, the blogs try to figure out when it’s dropping, and the whispers are contagious. “What is it? When can we get it?”
Keen-eyed NBA fans would’ve seen this unfolding back in December, when Anthony Davis was photographed wearing a mysterious low-cut, triple-black sneaker on court during a Lakers game.
Anthony Davis debuts the upcoming Nike Cosmic Unity. ?? pic.twitter.com/Vzja3qi5KW
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) December 12, 2020
As the winter weeks rolled on, we learned more about that pair, the Nike Cosmic Unity.
It’s the first shoe built for performance under Nike’s “Move to Zero” sustainability initiative (which brought us last year’s smash hit Space Hippie line), and incorporates 25 percent recycled materials by weight.
Every element of the Cosmic Unity is designed to lessen the manufacturing impact, from recycled rubber in the Crater Foam midsole to reused materials in the lightweight upper, shoelaces, and even the marbled texture of the Swoosh. The latest colorway, ‘Space Hippie,’ borrows shades from the popular OG releases of the same name,