Recently, it was reported Jimmy Butler and Jordan has parted ways making Jimmy Butler a free agent in the sneaker world. So it begs the question, where should Jimmy go? A player of his calibre will attract a lot of attentions from sneaker companies. For us basketball fans, best signing is if he is guaranteed a signature shoe with the next brand he signs. So we have listed a few companies that are very likely to give him a signature shoe if he signs with them.
Companies such as Nike, Adidas will never give him a signature shoe due to his age. It usually takes 2 years for a signature shoe to be designed and by the time a shoe is released in Jimmy Butler’s name he will be 32 and past him prime. It will be a unfavourable option for brands like Nike and Adidas to give a player whose past his prime a signature shoe. A notable mention is Underarmour, although he is unlikely to receive a signature shoe from the company, the only high profile player Underarmour has signed is Stephen Curry and Joel Embid. So adding an All-Star to their company’s roster will help the Underarmour and also give Jimmy Butler a more important role in the brand than when he was in Jordan.
- Li-Ning
Li-Ning in our opinion is the favourite to sign Jimmy Butler and give him a signature shoe. Li-Ning is the brand that gained more attention after the signing of Dywane Wade. Currently the brand has D’angelo Russell and C.J McCollum as active players in the league. Li-Ning like other international brands are trying to establish themselves in the league and signing Jimmy Butler whose playing in Miami (large market) will definitely help them achieve it faster. Another factor is Dwayne Wade, Wade was able to convince Jimmy to sign with the Miami Heat. Perhaps Wade can give another pitch when Jimmy Butler is choosing which company to sign with.
2. Anta
Anta is another Chinese brand that currently has Klay Thompson, Gordan Hayward and Rajon Rondo as the active players to represent the brand. All three players have signature shoes with the brand. In a marketing stand point, Jimmy Butler has a huge advantage over player like Rajon Rondo and Gordan Hayward since he is currently the face of the franchise in Miami and a overall better player. Anta also hasn’t shown that players past their prime doesn’t deter them from giving them a signature shoe through the case of Rajon Rondo. So, it is fair to say Jimmy Butler will not have much of a problem in receiving a signature shoe and becoming the face of the Anta alongside Klay Thompson if he decides to sign with them.
3. Brandblack
During the short-time in the NBA, Brandblack endorsed Jammal Crawford and placed him as the face of the brand releasing 3 signature shoes until they parted ways. After that the brand has been quiet in the basketball scene. Recently it has been showing signs of returning to making basketball shoes and Jimmy Butler will be able to attract more interests of performance shoe fans. The advantage Jimmy Butler gets from signing with Brandblack is that he will be the sole face of the brand and will receive complete attention from the brand. This is good for Jimmy Butler in building up his own influence around the league and won’t have to compete with other players that are signed with the brand since he is the only player there.
4. Peak
Peak sports is a company that has been quietly releasing making signature shoes for more low-profile players in the league. Such as Tony Parker, Matthew Dellavedova and George Hill. So far it has failed to sign a major NBA player and with Jimmy Butler becoming a sneaker free agent, we expect the company to actively pursue Jimmy Butler.
Overall, these four brands that are listed are the brands that are most likely to give Jimmy Butler a signature shoe if he signs with them. Each brand has their advantages and some of them of those advantages collide with each other. Also, just because he is guaranteed a signature shoe doesn’t mean that he will sign with the brand. He may care more about how much money is involved in the contract rather than whether he will get his own shoe. It will be interesting to see what brand manages so sign him.
SNEAKER SPECULATION 