On Friday night, New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson showed up on the court against the Atlanta Hawks with a brand new Star Wars-inspired sneaker: The Jalen Brunson x Nike Kobe 6 Protro PE “Knightfall Vader”. And just one look at it, and you can see why it’s giving Anakin Skywalker vibes.
The Nike swoosh here fades from blue to red, which is obviously a nod to Anakin’s journey from Jedi to Sith Lord. The same idea is seen underfoot – where the translucent outsole goes from a cool blue to a fiery red at the heel.
The upper is also a clever way of expressing the same idea. It goes from a gray and fades to a black gradient. And, of course, the red highlights remind us of how poor Anakin’s story ended.
Brunson was probably celebrating Star Wars Day, even if he was a few days ahead of the May 4th schedule. It’s a great fan service, but also shows his personal love for the fandom.
What’s even more interesting is that this isn’t even an official Nike x Star Wars product. Adidas is the brand with the most ties to Star Wars. But that never stopped Nike from making sneakers inspired by the galaxy far, far away, though. Remember the SB Dunk Low “Jedi” that released in 2004? Or even that Nike Air Presto “Boba Fett”? Those were both cool.
Now it’s Brunson’s turn to carry that unofficial torch with the Nike Kobe 6 Protro PE “Knightfall Vader”.
If you’re looking for them on the shelves, you won’t find them. They haven’t been released yet. And, currently, there’s no word on whether or not they’ll ever be available to purchase. Still, it’s a really cool nod to Star Wars Day.
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