Adidas Pays Tribute to Anthony Edwards' Youth Football Team

Anthony Edwards unveiled new adidas sneakers honoring his youth football team.
Adidas Pays Tribute to Anthony Edwards' Youth Football Team
Adidas Pays Tribute to Anthony Edwards' Youth Football Team /

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Between the Oscars and the NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves, all of the stars were out in Hollywood on Sunday night. None of them shined brighter than Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards. Well, maybe Ryan Gosling, but I digress.

The point remains the same: Edwards is the most exciting player in the NBA right now. Even better, the rollout of his first signature sneaker with adidas has been equally thrilling. During last night's loss to the Lakers, Edwards debuted his first player-exclusive colorway of the adidas AE 1.

The purple and gold colorway is a direct tribute to Edwards' old youth football team, the Atlanta Vikings. Before the game, Edwards unveiled the unreleased shoes alongside a picture of him from his days as a quarterback. Edwards added the captions, "AKA Aren’t you a quarterback?" and "My first PE, dedicated to where it all started. Believe That."

Two takeaways: Forget Kirk Cousins, the Atlanta Falcons need to sign this man as quarterback. Secondly, this is one of the best colorways yet (and that really says something). Below is a detailed look at the kicks on the court and how to buy affordable alternatives.

adidas AE 1

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards' purple and gold adidas sneakers.
The adidas AE 1 'Atlanta Vikings' colorway / Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

The adidas AE 1 'Atlanta Vikings' is the first player-exclusive colorway of Edwards' debut hoop shoe. Unfortunately for fans, that means it will not be released to the public. 

But chin up because the adidas AE 1 will be released in more colorways soon. The Timberwolves-inspired 'Velocity Blue' colorway is scheduled to be released at 10:00 a.m. EST on Friday, March 15. Online shoppers will be able to buy the shoes for $120 on the adidas website.

Most colorways of Edwards' first signature sneaker have sold out within minutes online. However, there are some sizes of previous colorways still available at retail prices on the Foot Locker website.

Everything from the design to the marketing of the adidas AE 1 has been a breath of fresh air for the sneaker community. With the NBA Playoffs starting next month, fans should expect even more heat coming from Edwards and adidas. Follow FanNationKicks.com for all your footwear news from the sneaker world.

Anthony Edwards' Adidas Sneakers Dropping in Timberwolves Colors


Published
Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.