Andrew Rizzo With the Kentucky Wildcats Men’s Basketball team gearing up to begin a new season on November 4th, a decorated alumnus in Devin Booker just dropped off some special player edition Nike Basketball shoes. The squad’s Instagram account just unveiled the delivery in full; a Nike Book 1 featuring the school’s hallmark blue color and a callback to one of the program’s National Championship seasons.
The news hardly comes as a surprise. Booker has been breaking out collegiate PEs throughout the season thus far, each of which tied to where the Phoenix Suns have been playing. He broke out a “Michigan State” PE during a preseason matchup in his home state, and then came out with a “USC” colorway for the Suns’ first game in the Intuit Dome in Southern California.
One might assume that the “34-2” lettering that appears on shoe’s tongue alludes to Booker’s time with the Wildcats, but that’s not the case. The clever detail is inspired by Kentucky’s National Championship run in 1996, which just so happens to be the year Devin Booker was born. The “96” that appears on the backtab is included on most Book 1 colorways, but takes on special meaning here given the design theme at play. Moreover, the shoe also features throwback Kentucky Wildcats logos on the insoles and lateral side of the heel counter.
To reiterate the obvious; the Nike Book 1 “Kentucky” is a player edition colorway and will not see a public release. In any case, enjoy detailed images below.
