/Russell Westbrook Is Bringing the Ugly Sneaker to the Basketball Court

Russell Westbrook Is Bringing the Ugly Sneaker to the Basketball Court

Jordan Why Not Zer0.2

Nike

The NBA’s biggest fashion head releases his second signature shoe.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook is as well-known for his swaggy off-court wardrobe as he is for his high-energy game. Which is to say the NBA superstar knows how to turn heads—and that’s precisely why legions of basketball and fashion fans alike love him. Last year, he debuted his first-ever signature basketball sneaker: the sleek and futuristic Jordan Why Not Zer0.1. And to kick things off in the new year, Westbrook is back with the Why Not Zer0.2, a shoe that is somehow even bolder and more daring than the first.

Before the start of the 2018-2019 season, for the first time in league history, the NBA lifted some long-standing restrictions on players’ footwear. The change made it so that players no longer had to wear the required white, black, or team-colored shoes—and Westbrook and Jordan Brand have clearly taken full advantage of the change. The multicolored silhouette of the Why Not Zer0.2 features shades of blue, red, yellow, and orange that all sit atop a chunky white sole. (While the hodgepodge of colors may seem random, each shade is a reference to a uniform that Westbrook has worn throughout his illustrious career.) And it’s not just a glossy, color-packed sneaker, either—it features all the same technology as one would expect for the signature shoe of a star player, including a split-sole design. Between the eye-catching design and performance materials, the Why Not Zer0.2 has got just about everything covered.

But most noticeably, Westbrook’s fashion savvy is showing here. He’s managed to apply an over-the-top look that currently dominates the sneaker world—colorful and ugly and chunky in just the right aways—to a basketball sneaker fit for the highest level of play. The NBA sneaker rule change has resulted in some wild-as-hell sneakers being worn during games. But none has been quite as wild as the Why Not Zer0.2 will be when it hits the court.

Available January 10 via Nike.