© Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Stephen Curry’s return from an ankle injury will coincide with some new flair: low top sneakers.
In 624 career games, Curry has worn mid-to-high top shoes. Last week, on his 30th birthday, Under Armour released the ‘Curry 5 low tops.’ The two-time NBA MVP didn’t get the chance to debut the sneakers then, however, due to a tweaked right ankle that has sidelined him for the past games.
Whenever Curry returns to the floor — his status for Friday night’s game against the visiting Atlanta Hawks is ‘probable’ — he will rock his signature shoe in low tops, according to ESPN’s Chris Haynes.
“It is kind of ironic that I made the switch this season considering my ankle issues, but this shoe is stable and engineered to maximize my performance,” Curry told ESPN on Thursday. “I will still wear my ankle braces, but I have total comfort and security in my new shoe.”
The low tops were largely popularized when Kobe Bryant switched to the look in 2008. Looking for a lighter, more versatile shoe, Bryant converted to the low tops in his fourth shoe of the Nike Zoom Kobe line.
Like Bryant, many signature athletes have switched up looks in the ensuing decade. Curry, who joined Under Armour in October 2013, is one of the latest. Last year, he reportedly brought up the idea of switching to low top shoes in a meeting with Under Armour, according to ESPN.
Now that vision is coming to fruition, just in time for the 2018 NBA playoffs, which begins in three weeks.
“It was like my Forrest Gump moment where I had to break out of [the high-tops],” Curry told ESPN. “When people took pictures of my shoes, the braces distracted what the shoe looks like and it made it look a little bulky. I was like, ‘I just want to get to a point where I can get my ankles strong enough that when I’m out there on the court with my new shoes, I’m looking good in my new shoes and I ain’t got to wear these braces to dumb it down.’”