Zion Williamson’s shoe: The business of college sports footwear

Andy Uhler Feb 22, 2019

Zion Williamson’s shoe: The business of college sports footwear

Andy Uhler Feb 22, 2019

Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after falling as his shoe breaks against Luke Maye #32 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 20, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina. Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Duke freshman basketball star Zion Williamson split his Nike shoe wide open in a game against rival North Carolina on Wednesday, injuring his knee less than one minute into the game. TV cameras caught former President Barack Obama, one of many celebrities in the crowd, appearing to say “His shoe broke.” Nike is in damage-control mode, launching an investigation into what went wrong with Williamson’s model PG 2.5 Nike. This shoe drama got us thinking about the business of footwear and apparel in college athletics.

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