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If the first thought that popped in your head when Carmelo Anthony signed to the Rockets was, “more shoes,” then we should probably start hanging out.
Seriously though, the signing of Melo is a huge deal for you sneaker fans. The Rockets now have three perennial brand faces on their team.
This means a few things for Rockets sneakerheads:
A. Plenty of great Rockets colorways.
B. Even if they release a shoe not in your team’s color, you can now buy the shoe in support of the player. So, no guilt.
C. Re-releases of signature pairs in team colors.
D. This is a stretch, but hopefully retro Jordans in Rockets colorways.
We’ve already seen some great stuff from James Harden and Chris Paul, now we just have to see what Melo brings to the table.
Until then, here are the latest signature and offseason releases of each player, so you can catch up on your shoe game and for the upcoming season.
Harden
If you’re looking for Rockets-themed shoes, Harden’s collection is going to be your go-to. All of his shoes have at least one striking Rockets red colorway, plus many inspired by his Arizona State and California days.
For the NBA season, Harden wore his signature Harden Vol. 2. After the season, Adidas followed the trend of the year before and released a Harden LS2 and Harden BTE X. The LS2 is a lifestyle silhouette, combining comfort, style, and sport. The BTE X, like last year’s, share a similar model as the Vol. 2, but its materials are not the same and it has a bounce sole, making it a more affordable performance shoe. Also, most of Harden’s shoes are half off on the Adidas website, most likely in preparation for the new line, so take advantage while you can.
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If you want to be patient and hold out for the ‘18-’19 season to get some new kicks, the Harden Vol. 3 is rumored to release on September 17. There are three different colorways of the shoe already, but Rockets fans would probably be most interested in the red and black one.
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CP3
Chris Paul, like Melo, is a Jordan brand athlete. This means that, not only, do we get signature Rockets colorways, but we also get Paul-inspired retros. And CP3 still has a signature shoe line, so his fans and Rockets faithful get a unique shoe and great colorways.
The CP3.XI, the 11th edition of his line, released this April and was worn by Paul during the playoffs. The model’s first colorway was a black, red, and white scheme, nicknamed “Rocket Fuel,” that Rockets fans will love. It was followed by a slew of different color schemes, including one inspired by his favorite football team, the Dallas Cowboys. All-in-all, it’s a great looking basketball shoe.
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This hasn’t been a busy summer in terms of retros and collaborations for Paul, but he did give us a beautiful olive green Jordan 12, inspired by his high school alma mater. He also showed off some really cool “Martin” themed kicks (Air Jordan 10 and CP3.XI), inspired by the TV show, on his Instagram. The CP3 model is available for purchase.
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Carmelo
As mentioned, Jordan has discontinued the Carmelo Anthony signature shoe line, but we’re still getting plenty of new colorways of his in retros and his previous shoes. That being said, he’s had a busy summer in the shoe department. No Rockets colors YET, but there’s plenty for the Carmelo and Jordan brand fans.
In April, the Air Jordan 9 “Melo (MOP)” came out, celebrating Anthony’s Most Outstanding Player award at Syracuse. The Jordan Melo 1.5 made a comeback this May with the sleek all-black “Hoodie Melo” colorway. An Air Jordan 2 retro came out in his classic Denver Nuggets colors. And, like CP3, Anthony also has a retro inspired by his high school alma mater. The Air Jordan 13 “Melo” releases on September 15, and is a callback to Anthony’s time at Oak Hill Academy.
Lastly, and my favorite, Melo collaborated with Rag & Bone to present a new look to the Air Jordan 20. It’s expensive, but it’s a beautiful shoe and really helps the Jordan 20 reach its full potential. It’s set to release September 17th in an olive and orange colorway and a black and gum colorway.
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