Klay Thompson Says Helping Design His First Signature Sneaker Was Harder Than People Think

Klay Thompson opened up about the struggles of designing a signature sneaker.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

For being a product that hasn't been promoted heavily in the states, Klay Thompson's Anta sneakers have created quite the buzz since he began wearing them. The first major story was him switching to Nikes during last year's play-offs, then there was his less than enthusiastic look during an Anta press event. Thompson set the record straight on those photos, and recently spoke with Sports Illustrated about the design process behind his first signature sneakers.

Despite his electrifying play on the NBA's best basketball team, Thompson isn't much of a flashy player, and his on-court demeanor and approach followed him to the design room. As one would expect, he admits to liking the way his sneakers look, but made sure to point out that that was not his top priority. Comfort and feel and (wearing something) I envision playing in for 40 minutes a night (has a higher priority)," said Thompson. As it turned out, getting the comfort and feel right was a lot harder than Thompson imagined, which may have led to the play-off sneaker swap. “You learn doing a shoe that it is a lot harder than it looks. I told them what I thought was comfortable, referencing shoes in the past. It was a harder process than I thought," said Thompson. He's been lacing them up regularly these days, so expect him to have Antas on his feet when his Golden State Warriors chase another championship this season.

Read the full story here.