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Either the stars just so happened to be aligned perfectly or this had been planned for some time. But while in China for a pair of exhibition games, today Dwyane Wade was officially introduced as the face of Li-Ning Basketball—remember, the brand is based in China. Alongside, Mr. Li Ning himself (pictured above), announcement was given of the brand's forthcoming Wade sub-brand, which will feature footwear as well as apparel.
In addition to today's festivities abroad, we also had the opportunity to speak with Li-Ning's Vice General Manager of Basketball, Brian Cupps, as well as Li-Ning's Creative Director of Basketball and lead designer of the Way of Wade sneaker, Eric Miller. In conjunction, here are a few things we learned.
Production Planning for a New Lead Li-Ning Basketball Signee Began Last Year
How in the world did Li-Ning get this silhouette together so fast — just a day after D-Wade's Jordan contract expired? Well, if they had indeed been working with Wade while he was still under contract with JB, suits would probably now be being thrown left and right. But as it was, the brand was prepping to sign a new basketball player, they just weren't sure who it would be. (Although there was hope it would indeed be Wade.) Therefore, the design process was initiated sometime last year.
Nike Did Not Match Li-Ning's Offer
While Wade's Jordan deal ran until the end of September, Li-Ning realized that they had their man a little sooner than that. "As far as when we knew it was a done deal, it wasn't until we got news back that Nike had decided not to match the offer that we made, and that was late August," Cupps says. "That's when we knew that the partnership would be consummated."
Dwyane Was And Will Be Very Involved During the Design Process
As many of you know, Dwyane Wade is widely regarded as one of the more well-dressed athletes. Li-Ning recognized this, as well as Dwyane's keen sense for design and knack for branding, and let him work alongside lead designer Eric Miller. "Dwyane's got a highly-tuned sense of style and performance in what he needs from an on-court perspective and from a style standpoint," Miller says. The overall sense of the forthcoming Wade line is that it is a "very unique animal." The initial Way of Wade shoe showcases many aspects that are closely connected with D-Wade — the consistent use of the "W" throughout, the tongue inspired by a prior GQ shoot with Dwyane, the circular "WADE" logo, and family connections on the bottom of the sneaker.
Dwyane Will Debut the Shoe During Pre-Season Games in China
There was some speculation yesterday and today as to the above sneakers not actually being the Way of Wade signature — well, they are. They are simply special edition colorways that will only be worn by Wade during his two pre-season games in China. We can expect slightly more toned-down colorways of the Way of Wade for Dwyane's regular-season schedule. In addition, look forward to a China Collection as well as Dynasty Collection to surface at some point.
Release Information for the Way of Wade
Other than the world wide web, how exactly will you be able to snag a pair of the forthcoming signature? Well, with the groundbreaking signing of Wade, we can now finally expect Li-Ning to make product available at select stateside retailers. This, however, is not expected to take place until quarter one of next year. In addition, an exact retail price has yet to be disclosed, but word is that it will be between $120-$130.
