Donovan Mitchell will be wearing some Donovan Mitchells on the court next year.
That’s because Adidas basketball released a preview of Mitchell’s signature shoe on Thursday, with a Spiderman-influenced theme and name.
The shoes, dubbed the “D.O.N. Issue #1” — like a comic book — don’t yet have a release date, though Jazz website SLC Dunk reported that the shoes would be released in the third quarter of 2019. D.O.N. stands for “Determination Over Negativity," according to Adidas. They’re a mix of blue and red, with white webbing in strategic locations to further drive the Spiderman theme home. Many details haven’t yet been announced, and some haven’t yet been finalized.
He’s been wearing the shoes for the last two weeks in private workouts, though has kept them away from the watchful eye of the public. He says he’ll start wearing them on the court in February or March, though isn’t sure of an exact date yet, as there are still aspects of the shoe that need to be tweaked. Even with the prototypes he has now — just two pairs, the only ones in existence — he said “they feel great.”
Mitchell said he worked very closely with Adidas on making them, to the point where he was surprised about the level of input they asked for from him. In the end, though, Mitchell only cared about a few factors.
“All I really care about is the color, the fit, where certain things are, and the logos," he said. "They were really easy with that.”
Mitchell says the shoes will be affordable, though Adidas hasn’t announced a price yet.
“People shouldn’t worry about that, in a good way,” Mitchell said. “They’ll be satisfied. I think people will be very satisfied with where they are. I’m not big on crazy expensive shoes, that’s not what I’m about.”
ESPN’s Nick DePaula reports that the shoes will cost below $100.
Mitchell is the first Utah Jazz player to have a signature shoe. Around 20 players in the league have signature shoes from one company or another, though if you narrow the list to those who have one from a major American shoe company, the list contracts down to about a dozen.
But that Mitchell is capable of that level of spotlight tells Mitchell that the state of Utah, and his team, are ready for that too.
"I love the fact that people aren’t overlooking us anymore,” he told UtahJazz.com. “We’re putting Utah in a different light. I’m glad to be a part of that. We’re all glad to be a part of that. My friends want to come here. When I was a kid, that wasn’t the case. That’s where I’m trying to get Utah to. I want people to see what we have because it’s a great place.”
