The PlayStation Blog published a post today from Paul George AKA number 13 of Oklahoma City Thunder. Why is an NBA player posting on a blog for a video game console? Because he’s collaborating with PlayStation and Nike to announce a pair of sneakers based on the console.
Introducing the Nike PG-2 “PlayStation” Colorway, a sneaker for basketball and gaming.
George talks about his childhood with video games. He’d play mostly sports games and go outside later to try what he’d seen on the TV in real life. Of course, he also took the time to mention how he’d beat his uncle and his friends at all the sports games they showed him. Then he told a more PlayStation-centric story, which lead to the eventual creation of these sneakers.
“This collaboration has been a long time coming. Ask me what my favorite PlayStation memory is and I’ll tell you it’s when my dad got me a PS2 for Christmas. I’d been dropping hints left and right because I knew that was it. That was the next big thing. You could say the same with Nike. As a kid, I’d make sketches of what I wanted my Nike shoes to look like because it’s something I’ve always wanted to be a part of. Now I have the opportunity to make something very special and personal to me with the help of two of my favorite brands.”
The shoe’s design takes inspiration from the console’s DualShock 4 controller and the PlayStation symbol that has been present since the first console released. Every inch of these sneakers pays homage to the PlayStation. Here’s a rundown of what comes on them.
- The tongues of the shoe sport the PG and PlayStation logos, which illuminate and pulsate blue just like when turning on the console
- The back heel of the left shoe has a unique barcode that contains a PSN voucher code, which can be redeemed at PlayStation Store for a Paul George Dynamic Theme for your PS4
- The colors of the sneaker pay homage to the buttons on the DualShock 4 controller
- The iconic PlayStation symbols are embossed in patent leather on each shoe
- The look of the PG Dynamic Theme is reflected in the sock liner on each shoe
Personally, our favorite feature is the button colored eyelets.
George calls himself one of the biggest gamers in the NBA, and as such he seems humbled by the collaboration to bring his two favorite pastimes together. The PG-2 “PlayStation” colorway releases globally on February 10, 2018. More information on how to get these PlayStation-themed sneakers is available on the Nike SNKRS app.