Xero Shoes announced its first NBA athlete partnership with Denver Nuggets shooting guard Justin Holiday, who will wear a custom-designed barefoot/minimalist basketball shoe during Tuesday’s NBA Playoffs game versus the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“After years of working out off-court barefooted, I felt the first-hand benefits of allowing my feet to move in their natural state and wanted to maximize the benefits of barefoot movement,” said Holiday. “I love wearing the Xero Shoes basketball shoes because I feel more explosive and more efficient in my movements. These minimalist shoes make me feel better when pivoting, cutting, and jumping because I’m closer to the court. Now I wear Xero Shoes every day for training, lifting, and wearing casually.”
In addition to months of training and performance testing his custom-designed basketball shoe, Holiday completes regular barefoot training, which gives his feet the ground feedback that is more noticeable than when you wear traditional shoes.
The Xero Shoes’ product development team collaborated with basketball athletes (including Holiday), trainers, and other experts to design and test a minimalist basketball shoe. The shoe has a lower stack height (including rubber, midsole foam, and sockliner) that maximizes performance and comfort, while also being lighter weight than conventional basketball shoes. Holiday also has a unique shoe size that is narrower than average and always poses a challenge, so Xero Shoes catered the fit in his custom-made shoe.
The Xero Shoes’ basketball shoe features the brand’s iconic natural footwear DNA: a wider foot-shaped toe box designed for stability and big toe engagement, and a zero-drop heel for efficiency. A key component of the shoe is a protective foam that retains a lightweight, low-profile design. For a secure fit and lockdown, the shoe features a Velcro strap and a heel capture for on-court dynamic movement. A moisture-wicking and abrasion-resistant liner keeps athletes’ feet cool and comfortable. A multi-layer monofilament mesh material rounds out the design. It gives a sleek and modern look while being lightweight, flexible, and breathable without sacrificing durability.
Adds Xero Shoes Co-Founder Steven Sashen, “We are confident in the design philosophy of this shoe and our goal is to give players more games in a season and more seasons in a career. We’re proud that Justin is the first player to realize and demonstrate what Xero Shoes can bring to the NBA.”
“Throughout the process we’ve received countless wear test reports that the shoe enables basketball athletes to get closer to the court, allowing for quick direction changes,” said John Wadley, VP of Product Development and a lifelong basketball player. “We feel weight is currently undervalued in the sport, so this shoe construction focuses on lightweight materials that pack a powerful punch. The shoe’s signature zero-drop platform and wide toe box optimizes stability and power by fostering toe splay for improved balance and stability.”
For more information, visit https://xeroshoes.com/basketball.
