5 Minutes With Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard is undeniably one of the most unstoppable forces in the NBA today, but aside from commanding the paint for the Orlando Magic, Dwight has  a big personality and plenty of other talents to offer. Last Friday night, at the Gatorade Replay game in Chicago, Dwight got to try his hand at something new, serving as honorary coach for the eventually triumphant Brother Rice Crusaders. Between passionately pacing the sidelines and entertaining the lively crowd in attendance, Sneaker News got a chance to sit down with the young man also affectionately known as “Superman” and the “Man Child” to discuss, what else, but sneakers. We asked Dwight about his first sneaker memories, his signature sneaker line from adidas and, of course, his thoughts on the upcoming 2010-11 NBA season. Keep reading for the full Sneaker News interview with NBA superstar Dwight Howard, and stay tuned for more athlete and celebrity interviews coming soon.

Sneaker News: What’s up Dwight?  Lets get right into it and talk sneakers.

Dwight Howard: Let’s do it!

SN: Let’s start at the beginning. What was your favorite shoe as a kid?

DH: I didn’t have a lot of shoes. The only shoe I had  as a kid was the Pro-Wings. You heard of Pro-Wings?

SN: Yeah. Of course.

DH: I had Pro Wings for a long time. Then I got my first Jordans when I was 15, and then after that, it was all adidas.

SN: What was your first pair of Jordans?

DH: Oh man. I can’t even tell you the name of them. Somebody gave me a pair of Jordans and that’s all I
remember. Since then, it’s been nothing but adidas though.

SN: And now you’ve got your own line of adidas shoes. Could you ever have imagined as a kid that someday you’d have your own signature adidas shoe?

DH: It feels great to have my own shoe. It’s awesome! It’s something I always dreamed of and prayed about since I was a little kid and now I thank God that I have the opportunity to have my own sneaker.

SN: How much input do you have on the design of your shoes?

DH: I actually sit in all the meetings and tell them that I want a shoe that looks good and feels good that I can wear on and off the court.

SN: When you walk into the design meetings, do they already have a concept in mind or do you start from scratch?

DH: We basically start from scratch. They show me some outlines and then I tell them where I wanna take it from there and they do it.

SN: And have you been happy with the results so far?

DH: Oh yeah. The newest shoe is very light. It looks good. It feels good. It’s the best shoe I’ve worn in a long time.

SN: What else can you tell us about your new TS Beast model?

DH: They just keep getting hotter. Better and better. Lighter, faster. It’s gonna be good. It’s not a shoe just for big men. It’s a shoe for guards too or anybody. It looks good off the court and I’ve got big feet. (laughs) So if they look good on my feet, they must have done something right.

SN: What size is your foot?

DH: I wear 18’s. Anyone wearing a size 12, or a 10, or a 13 can look good with no problem.

SN: But you’ve gotta be more selective I guess. It’s tough making a size 18 look good huh?

DH: Right, but these shoes look good. I told them that I wanted them to be very comfortable and something that I could wear on and off the court. And  something that matched my personality. And they did that.

SN: Now that you’ve got LeBron and D-Wade down there in Florida repping Nike and Jordan, is adidas coming to you with any extra pressure to represent and carry the adidas torch down there?

DH: It has nothing to do with that. I think that it’s all about character. They don’t really even care about how many games you win and all that stuff.  They just care about your character. What you do off the court is as important as what you do on it.

SN: I have to ask. What do you think about those new Heat guys now sharing your space down there in Florida? You up for that challenge?

DH: Yeah. They’re not the only team in the league. They still gotta play the games and everybody’s equal once you get to the playoffs.

SN: Well said. Thanks Dwight. Good luck with the new shoe and the upcoming season.

Additional images via FootLocker.