Dwyane Wade’s Li-Ning Way of Wade 11 Sneaker Is Loaded With Details in an Afrofuturistic Design
Dwayne Wade‘s line of signature sneakers for Li–Ning is continuing well past his retirement with a new bent toward afrofuturism.
The Li-Ning Way of Wade 11 taps into the aesthetic while calling out various stories from Wade’s life. A TPU starting at midfoot and wrapping around the heel features a redesigned Way of Wade logo and is packed with far more details than initially meet the eye. More than 20 symbols include one each for Wade’s three NBA titles with the Miami Heat, dots representing both his jersey no. and 16-year career and waves for Miami’s South Coast. Mismatched outsole patterns are equally dense with iconography that includes his face in the style of of an African mask, abbreviations for the two cities he’s most associated with, Miami and his birthplace of Chicago and his daughter’s name.
“The Li-Ning Way of Wade 11 is more than just a shoe,” Wade said in a press release. “It’s a representation of my ongoing journey and the next chapter of my evolution. As I begin my new chapter I’m excited to partner with a company like Kicks Crew that shares my vision so we can bring my shoes to more people worldwide.
As a performance basketball shoe, the Way of Wade also offers a Carbon Core drive system providing stability and energy return in conjunction with Boom. Li-Ning has reported an increase of 3.8 and 4.1 percent in different vertical jump heigh situations, as well as a 12 percent increase in vertical jump speed because of the tech. The company also says its GCU mollecular rubber outsole provides a 32 percent slip increase on dustry surfaces.
For its debut, the Way of Wade 11 will launch in a “305” scheme named for Miami’s area code and taking on the colors of the Heat.
Way of Wade’s raffle will be open from June 22 through June 29, with winners to be notified June 30. Pricing is set at $225.
About the Author:
Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.