Anthony Edwards
Anthony DeVante Edwards is a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in Atlanta, Georgia on August 5th, 2001, he entered the league in 2020, picked first overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Before becoming one of the League’s most exciting players, Anthony Edwards played one season of college basketball with the University of Georgia Bulldogs. In his debut with the SEC program, Edwards recorded 24 points, the most by a Georgia freshman debutant since Dominique Wilkins in 1979. Although he didn’t obtain as many accolades in his single college basketball season as he did throughout high school, “Ant” (as his father has referred to him since Edwards was 3-years-old) was unquestionably one of the top shooting guards in the country. He accrued multiple “SEC Freshman of the Week” distinctions between November 2019 and March 2020, when he declared for the 2020 NBA Draft. The Atlanta-native was selected by the Timberwolves in the shooting guard position. After three years in the NBA, he’s averaged 22.2 points almost 4 assists per game. Right-handed, Anthony Edwards – who wears the number “5” on his jersey – has already represented Team USA at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. The U.S. only secured a fourth-place finish at the tournament, but Anthony Edwards was selected to the All-FIBA World Cup Team, having led his country in scoring (18.9 ppg). Beyond his highly-athletic, defense-oriented game on-the-court, “Ant-Man” has won fans over with his natural charisma, something he’s only shared more of through social media since entering the League.
Edwards has been an adidas athlete since his first NBA season. Throughout his first few years, Ant wore the adidas Dame 6 and a number of styles from the Crazy BYW line (he received some Player-Exclusives of the latter). Fans of the Timberwolves guard were vocal on social media about their desire for the 20-something-year-old to get his own signature shoe. By Summer 2023, their pleas had been answered. Aptly-named the adidas AE1, Anthony Edwards’ debut basketball sneaker was unveiled in his home city of Atlanta. The event was a big win for the people of Georgia’s capital, and the Three Stripes and Ant celebrated big. Edwards connected with many children in Atlanta, promising them pairs of the futuristic AE1. Fellow hometown hero, Lil Baby, performed at the celebration.
Anthony Edwards’ shoes, the adidas AE1s, were designed by Patrick Zempolich, who also designed the N3XT L3V3L Futurenatural. In conversation with Sneaker News’ Jared Ebanks, Zempolich shared that the silhouette’s aerodynamic design was influenced by Ant’s blurring speed on the court: “Anthony Edwards is the face of adidas Basketball. We had to start with a hyper-progressive silhouette, something that’s pushing the boundary.” To this end, the AE1 features geometric support wings with full-length Jet-Boost cushioning. Anthony Edwards’ shoes debuted in an eye-catching “With Love” colorway on December 16th, 2023 with a price of $120 USD. The pinkish-peach style was inspired by the favorite colors of Ant’s late mother and grandmother. While divisive for its honeycomb patterns and unordinary aesthetic, Edwards’ first signature model has been championed by basketball players and fashion-forward casuals alike.
So far this season, over half a dozen colorways of Anthony Edwards’ shoes have been unveiled, beginning with the “With Love,” “Best of Adi” and “Arctic Fusions” colorways. The red-hot silhouette got an additional boost in Fall 2024 with the release of the AE1 Low, now beginning to factor into the model’s release schedule alongside the original Mid. Below you can find our latest coverage of Anthony Edwards’ shoes, including first looks at new colorways and their release dates.