It is one thing for an athlete to release a new sneaker. So many athletes, especially in basketball have their own sneakers. Don’t get us wrong, we’re huge fans of kicks here at Beyond The W, but the new Elena Delle Donne Hyperdunk PEs released by Nike have special meaning for her.
These new sneakers happen to pay homage to Delle Donne and her journey through life and basketball. A litany of symbols that have relevance to EDD appear—including the phrase “The Path Less Traveled” and “I Love You” inscribed in sign language for her older sister. Also among the designs is the state of Delaware, clouds representing the Chicago Sky, and one for her love of water.
-
- Photo Credit: Nike.com
Delle Donne recently made the rounds through the media and talked about what went into the design of the shoe as well as its overall significance. She said she had a lot of input on the design.
“A couple Nike design people came by my house and spent most of the day with me and we kind of just talked about the style of shoes that I like, colors, and they even went into my shoe room to see more.”
–Delle Donne to Sports Illustrated
She also talked about the various symbols that appear on the shoe—and said that those that represent her unique bond with her sister are those that stand out to her the most.
“The biggest thing that I love is some of the details are raised because my sister is blind. So all of our communication is through touch. So, a part of the shoe is about her.”
–Delle Donne via SI
Also significant with the release of the signature kicks is Delle Donne adding her name to a list that includes Sheryl Swoopes and Cynthia Cooper of WNBA players with their own sneaker line. She said she definitely wanted to have the Air Swoopes when they came out.
“I had wanted to wear a female shoe for as long as I can remember. So, when that came out, I was probably the most obnoxious kid to my mom and my dad, just whining to get out there and get that shoe. Then the second I got the shoe, they couldn’t get me inside because I was outside playing so much.”
–Delle Donne via Slam Magazine
Delle Donne mentioned that when she sees a kid with her sneakers on, her reaction will probably be similar to her reaction to the Air Swoopes back in the day.
“I’m gonna freak out probably even more. I’ll be taking pictures with them, shooting around with them. I can’t wait to see it on people. I think that’s gonna be the most amazing part of this whole process and there have been a lot of amazing moments.”
–Delle Donne via Slam
(Photo Credits: Slam Online, Nike.com)
