NBA Shoes

[Mac670]

Do NBA players wear the same type of shoe at practice than they do at games? If so, how do you if shoes are indeed worn in a game as opposed to practice? I see Kobe game worn shoes that state "can't be bought retail". Are these shoes all worn in games or just practice.

[sportscentury]

Do NBA players wear the same type of shoe at practice than they do at games? If so, how do you if shoes are indeed worn in a game as opposed to practice? I see Kobe game worn shoes that state "can't be bought retail". Are these shoes all worn in games or just practice.

Unless you get the shoes as the player walks off the court or you have a definitive photomatch, you can't know for certain. Players wear their "player exclusive" (PE) shoes in both practice and games. These shoes are not available to the public, but the player can certainly wear them whenever he so chooses. Honorable representatives will distinguish between game worn and practice worn when they sell shoes. For example, Ki Pennington, Iverson's marketing rep, always notes whether the pairs he is selling are from games or practice. Some other sellers just sell everything as game worn, including a major seller of Kobe's items. Do your homework and get to know as much as you can about the source.

[stretch]

Well, all players are different, some wear different shoes during practice. It can be difficult to distinguish between practice shoes and game shoes. It helps to know how often a player switches out his shoes, so you can A. ask the player, or B. continue to observe photos/footage of the player, and make your own conclusion. So, trends are important to know, but still not always a sure thing.

Example: Notice all the different pairs of shoes in each locker.

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