Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker confirms release date of Nike Book 1, responds to criticism of shoe

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker’s first signature shoe will hit retailers next month.

The three-time All Star confirmed on Instagram, on Saturday, the Nike Book 1 will be released to the masses on Feb. 17 during NBA All-Star Weekend.

The “Clay Orange” colorway nicknamed “Chapter One” originally released exclusively at LeBron James’ UNKNWN store in Miami during Art Basel last month. The launch was limited to just 500 pairs with the likes of Kevin Durant, P.J. Tucker and DJ Khaled all receiving a pair gifted from the Suns guard. Drake was also seen sporting the new silhouette in the “Chapter One” colorway at his September concert in Glendale.

Many fans of Booker and the shoe have expressed their disappointment over the rollout of the shoe, with attainability the main concern.

Complex Sneakers shared a clip on Instagram on Saturday from a recent episode of “The Complex Sneakers Show” podcast featuring Joe La Puma, Matt Welty and Brendan Dunne talking about the Book 1.

Welty criticized the way Nike handled launch of the Book 1 questioning why the shoe released in Miami as opposed to Phoenix. The hosts further expressed their disappointment with the shoe’s aesthetic, suggesting Nike failed to find the balance between a lifestyle shoe and a performance basketball sneaker. Welty then went on to compare the design of the shoes to a “burlap sack.”

Booker commented on the Instagram post, “A lot of people feel the same way,” before the guard later defended his shoe by responding to many comments on the same post.

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