Happy 2023! With a new year, comes new resolutions including the infamous “new year, new me.” What’s a better way to kick off the next 365 days than by adding some grails to your sneaker rotation?
It’s no secret that the Philippines is a country addicted to basketball culture. For reference, last weekend during Game 7 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals, the league set a record with over 54,589 fans in attendance to watch the highly anticipated match-up between the Barangay Ginebra and the Bay Area Dragons at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan. While buying new basketball shoes might not exactly make you earn buckets like Justin Brownlee, there’s no harm in manifesting looking good to play good.
Even in the midst of post-pandemic inflation, it’s normal to feel susceptible to our guilty pleasures and spending habits. There’s nothing wrong with being aspirational in regards to our hustle and wanting to rich flex in all aspects of life, including everyone’s favorite hardwood and concrete sanctuary.
Jump ball, here are five of the most expensive basketball shoes that you can buy here in the Philippines.
Adidas Yeezy Boost 750 Light Grey Glow In The Dark
Price: PHP50,000
Where to cop: AfterMarket
While the Adidas Yeezy Boost 750 may have not been originally intended to be a pair of basketball shoes, Nick Young famously wore the shoes during a game with the Los Angeles Lakers. In honor of Swaggy P representing the Philippines with the Strong Group team for the 32nd Dubai International Championship, we decided to include Ye’s first-ever sneaker with Adidas on our list.
Nike Kobe 6 Protro Grinch
Price: PHP68,000
Where to cop: AfterMarket
The Kobe 6 Grinch famously debuted in 2011 when Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers took on LeBron James and the Miami Heat in a legendary primetime Christmas Day match-up. The Nike Kobe 6 Protro Grinch also marks the first Kobe 6 to receive the Kobe Protro treatment, a design process that interprets classic Kobe designs and remixes them with the latest tech for improved performance. AfterMarket has a few sizes available for this basketball shoe.
Nike Zoom Kobe 6 Protro ‘Mambacita Sweet Sixteen'
Price: PHP125,900
Where to cop: Kicks Crew
The Nike Kobe 6 Protro Mabacita Sweet 16 pays homage to the late Gigi Bryant and the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation. The basketball shoes feature design elements like a Black Mamba-inspired snakeskin upper, both Kobe and Gigi Bryant’s names, Gigi’s #2 uniform number, and Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation crest etched in eternity in the shoe.
Jordan 1 Retro High Dior
Price: PHP520,000
Where to cop: AfterMarket
With the Air Jordan 1 becoming an essential staple for all streetwear enthusiasts, it’s easy to forget it was originally designed to be a pair of basketball shoes. The Jordan 1 Retro High Dior is the first time that Jordan has collaborated with a high fashion label like Dior and only 8,500 individually numbered pairs exist.
Nike MAG Back To The Future (2011)
Price: PHP1,400,000
Where to cop: AfterMarket
Nothing says rich flex like the Nike MAG Back To The Future! While the 2011 pair may not be as suitable for basketball as the 2016 (and more expensive) pair, the original Marty McFly-inspired sneaker is a shoe that any sneakerhead would love to have in their collection.
We’re sure adding any of these basketball sneakers to your collection will make you the PJ Tucker of your basketball barkada. While these price tags may be aspirational to most, let this serve as inspiration to focus on your hustles this year.
Here’s to a healthy and injury-free 2023 of hooping!
Words CA Christian Alexander
