CP3's Signature Shoe Rocks
The guys at Jordan Brand scored a coup with Chris Paul, the red-hot guard for t
he New Orleans Hornets. Paul has played at an impressive level in his first NBA postseason, leading his team to a 2-0 lead over the defending-champion San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs face a daunting task if they want to come back.The reason 2-0 series leads are so serious is that the trailing team must go at least 4-1 to advance. That is not easy. Paul, or CP3 as he is known, is a big reason for the Hornets' advantage over Tim Duncan and the rest of the Spurs.
Also, Paul just finished 2nd to Kobe Bryant in MVP balloting. Folks, it's only Season Three for this guy, and he's getting votes for MVP. Wow. No wonder CP3 has a signature basketball sneaker.
Nike, under the guise of Jordan Brand, has created an interesting shoe for Paul. I must admit, I have not worn this shoe, but I can look at it. The aesthetics work in my opinion. The Jordan CP looks like a basketball shoe. That's just one of many upsides. The version pictured above, white/silver/navy/wheat, is my favorite colorway, and it's available on Finish Line's website. White basketball shoes seem so much more interesting than black ones for the time being. IDKY. They just do.
One of the coolest design ideas on the Jordan CP is the stitched patent leather that wraps around from the side of the midsole and into the flex grooves underneath. Clearly, this shoe is intended for the hardwood rather than the ole concrete driveway, and the detailing is superb. We've seen essentially the same thing on driving moccasins like forever, but to do it on a basketball shoe and with patent leather, well, that's new to me. Paul's name even appears on the leather between the flex grooves stitched elegantly in cursive script.Another notable design characteristic on the Jordan CP is the diagonal seam running across the vamp. Visual elements like this give a predominantly white, predominantly black vamp a little added value. Without the seam, we're left with a flat, blank surface covered with blank leather, and we've seen that so many times before.
There is so much to like about the Jordan CP. New design ideas are applied unobtrusively, preventing the shoe from appearing odd or avant garde. The Jordan CP appears normal and modern, yet it has enough interesting tweaks to keep things fresh and interesting.
Image sources: FinishLine.com, Eastbay.com
