- Devin Booker’s latest Nike collection takes inspiration from four classic Chevys.
- Pretty Penny borrows colors from Phoenix Suns’ player’s ’59 Impala convertible.
- Three more Impala-themed Book 2 Nike sneakers will follow later this December.
Most of us express our love for old cars by spending too much money keeping them on the road. Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker has considerably more resources, so he collects classic Chevys and gets Nike to turn them into sneakers.
The new Nike Book 2 Chevrolet collection comprises four designs inspired by Impalas from Booker’s personal collection, which he calls The Library. It follows last year’s sold-out Book 1 collaboration, when Booker’s classic Chevy Blazers provided the automotive inspiration.
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Nike, Chevrolet
First out of the garage is Pretty Penny, based on Booker’s 1959 Impala convertible and finished in a color scheme inspired by the Chevy’s paint. It’s particularly appropriate because Booker says the ’59 was the car that kicked off his classic-car obsession.
The other three shoes draw inspiration from his 1958, 1962 and 1963 Impalas. Nike and Chevy haven’t simply picked four colors and called it a day, either. Each shoe carries the year of its corresponding car, while details on the tongues reference the hood ornaments of the respective Impalas.
Even the box the shoes come in is bespoke. The custom boxes borrow their look from Chevrolet’s mid-century accessories packaging, complete with retro graphics, while a Heartbeat of America T-shirt riffs on Chevy’s famous advertising campaign from the 1980s and ’90s.
Woodward Cruise Debut
“I’ve been a lifelong Chevy fan and I truly love adding classic cars to my garage, The Library,” Booker said. “Bringing together my Michigan roots and my passion for Chevy makes this project really special.”
And Michigan is where the first shoes will appropriately hit the street. Pretty Penny gets an early release in Detroit on August 15 during the Woodward Dream Cruise, when around 40,000 classic vehicles are expected to descend on the famous 16-mile (26 km) stretch of Woodward Avenue. A global release follows on August 26, while the other three Impala-inspired designs arrive in December.
Car companies have attached their names to plenty of questionable fashion collaborations over the years but this is one we can get behind. Booker genuinely owns and loves the cars providing the inspiration. And unlike a pristine ’59 Impala convertible, you probably won’t be afraid to take these outside in the rain. What would a Nike collab based on your garage look like (mine would have a small oil leak at the toe and a dent by the heel)?
