Looking Closer at Keldon Johnson's Shoes

San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson wears Qiaodan brand basketball shoes during NBA games.

If we surveyed sports fans, most would not know much about San Antonio Spurs small forward Keldon Johnson. Few would realize that he was on the 2020 Team USA Olympic men's basketball team. Chalk it up to playing for a small-market NBA team.

Last night, Johnson scored 25 points in a losing effort against the Denver Nuggets. However, our focus is not on Johnson's consistent production but instead on what he's wearing on the hardwood.

Johnson wore yellow, orange, and pink basketball shoes with a logo we do not recognize. So it begs the question, what are those? We ask that question earnestly, not in a trolling or condescending way.

Qiaodan

View of Keldon Johnson's Qiaodan basketball shoes / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Johnson is wearing basketball shoes from a Chinese sports apparel company called Qiaodan. Never heard of it? Same. A quick Google search immediately results in stories about an eight-year legal battle between Qiaodan and Jordan Brand.

Michael Jordan filed a lawsuit against Qiaodan in 2012 for misrepresenting his name and brand. Qiaodan is the transliteration of Jordan into Chinese. After almost a decade, Jordan won the lawsuit in 2021 and was awarded $46K for emotional damages. 

We want to hear your thoughts on Johnson's Qiaodan basketball shoes. Let us know on Twitter if you would hoop in Qiaodan shoes or wear them casually. Stay locked into FanNationKicks.com for news, highlights, and analysis.

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