It's all in the details: Klay Thompson's latest signature shoe with Anta
MANILA, Philippines — Four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson's latest signature shoe with sportswear brand Anta has dropped in the Philippines, riding on the wave of the new NBA season as the Golden State Warriors attempt to defend their title.
Made available in all Anta stores nationwide last October 24, the KT8 has been released in four initial colorways — "Remain White", "Enough Said", "LA" and "Veterans Day".
In an intimate launch held at the Chairman's Lounge of Okada Manila, members of the media got to preview the four colorways as well as interact with the sneaker's designer Duane Lawrence.
"It's been a cool journey to sit down with Klay and coach him up on how [the] signature shoes process goes," Lawrence said during a video conference last Monday.
Combining style with functionality, the KT8's beauty is in the fine details of its design.
Perhaps the most intriguing feature of the shoe is its adjustable ankle collar — a first-of-its kind in Anta's basketball shoes.
It allows the wearer to choose whether to go with a mid or low look — catering to both the needs of Thompson, and consumers who prefer low-cut sneakers.
To boost stability, the KT8 has three-axis integration called the "3D Flow" that provides protection for the wearer in all types of movement and will help Thomspon and Anta's consumers "dominate all 94-feet" of the basketball court.
"We got to make sure we protect him in every angle. We introduced [the 3D Flow] on the KT6 and 7. When he's moving left to right, we want to make sure he has enough stability and torsion control," explained Lawrence.
There's also a carbon fiber plate that goes to the core foot and Nitro Edge on the forefoot and heel. Smart S.A.M. technology can also be found on the heel to help in shock absorption.
According to the brand, the KT8 provides "multi-directional stability" to deliver the best shoe for Thompson.
But apart from function, the design of the shoe really gives life to Thompson's journey as an NBA player.
On the heels of the shoe, the years "1987-88" and "2017-18" can be found on the left and right shoe, respectively, which gives a nod to the years Thompson and his dad Mychal clinched their back-to-back championships in the NBA.
Meanwhile, dots representing Thompson's shot chart can be seen on the shoe's outsole — with 11 dots highlighted to mark the location of the 11 threes he made vs Oklahoma City Thunder when he was dubbed "Game 6 Klay".
On the shoe's tongue is an ode to Thompson's NBA draft where he was selected 11th overall in the 2011 edition of the draft.
The pull tabs also have the words "Golden Silence" and "Onward Together".
The first phrase is a nod to Thompson's battle to recovery from his ACL injury while "Onward Together" is from the Bahamanian coat of arms.
His father Mychal has relatives from the Bahamas.
"I just observed his personality and the things he says, how his father's career [went] and what it means to him. It becomes a detail on his shoe," said Lawrence.
A pair of KT8s will set you back Php 8995 for the four initial colorways. Consumers are told to watch out for more colorways in the coming months, including a limited edition "Gold Blooded" colorway that Thompson himself wore in Golden State's opening game of the 2022-23 NBA season.
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