Putting their best footwear forward
NBA loosens rules on players’ shoe designs
MIAMI — The Dark Knight might finally be ready for prime time for the Miami Heat this season, at least based on new sneaker guidelines adopted by the NBA.
As reported by ESPN, the NBA this season will change guidelines that previously had required players to only wear sneakers based on the colorways of team uniforms.
For the Heat, who long have stretched the palette, from Dwyane Wade’s birthday shoes to neon hues worn in recent seasons by James Johnson and Bam Adebayo, it could make just about any combination fair game.
Unless, of course, the team rule book says otherwise.
As with many NBA policies, there also is a states-rights element to the equation, with the Heat known for their detailed book of team guidelines.
According to the ESPN story on the impending sneaker change, “During the early 2010s, Pat Riley famously relayed to Nike reps that ‘all my soldiers wear the same color boots,’ as the brand was looking for [LeBron] James to lace up more vibrant red- or yellow-based sneakers.”
James nonetheless often did, including during the Heat’s run through four NBA Finals from 2011 to 2014, with championships in 2012 and ’13.
Heat players already have
been working with a wide berth of color options with the unveiling of last season’s “Vice” jerseys, an approach that again will be in place for 2018-19. Because of those pastels, it even allowed Heat guard Wayne Ellington to break out his Carolina blue shoes as an homage to his championship time with the North Carolina Tar Heels.
There will, however, be limits. That again could have Hassan Whiteside limited to pregame warmups, as was the case last season, when it came to his Batman-themed shoes with Jokers accents.
Per ESPN, “The only ongoing restrictions will regard third-party logos, which still will have to be pre-approved by the league office before making their way to the court. Custom hand-painted sneakers, often made just days before being worn, surged in popularity last season. The league will continue to look closely at any third-party logos.”
Several Heat players in recent seasons have worked with personal artists for their shoes, with those orders often arriving directly to the player instead of through the team. Gray shoes proved to be particularly popular with Heat players last season.
Many of Riley’s restrictions have been eased or eliminated over the years, most notably the ban on headbands that was removed well in advance of James’ 2010 free-agency arrival.
The Heat also were among several NBA teams that took advantage of last season’s league change that no longer required teams to predominantly wear white uniforms for home games.
Of the policy change, ESPN reported that Nike played a significant role in the revised shoe allowances, as part of the apparel maker’s eight-year, $1 billion contract with the league.