The Second Signature Sneaker Slump Is Real
Published
Nearly two years after the adidas AE 1 first landed on store shelves, the adidas Anthony Edwards 2 is set to arrive in October 2025. Eschewing the typical yearly release cycle that begins right around the start of a new NBA season and ends during Summertime, the anticipation for the follow-up has reached fever pitch. The success of the AE 1, coupled with Anthony Edwards becoming one of the NBA’s most recognizable stars, was a welcome surprise to not just adidas but to the competition as well. When Nike or Jordan Brand throws subtle shade at Edwards in their own marketing, that’s when everybody takes notice.
Here’s the problem that adidas faces as the release date draws near: the second signature shoe rarely surpasses the original. It’s not always advisable to look at comments on social media, but the same people who were pumping up the AE 1 are not so enthusiastic for the sequel. Leaked images are being met with comments about the shoes being bricks or they won’t compare to the AE 1. An early sample that purported to be the AE 2 with a December 2024 release had such a lukewarm response that it may have played a role in adidas scrapping that design and pushing everything back for nearly a year.
Whether it’s sales or critical acclaim or acceptance by the wider sneaker culture, the follow-up signature shoe has had a history failing to reach the heights of the debut model. If pop culture had the same sequel hit rate as sneakers, there would be no Empire Strikes Back, no Sega Genesis, no good kid M.A.A.D. City. As is the case with any trend, there are a handful of exceptions, but let’s take a look back at some of the most infamous sophomore slumps in sneaker history.
Second Signature Sneakers That Flopped
Michael Jordan - Air Jordan 2
If you tell an OG Air Jordan 2 fan that the sneaker was a flop, they will either acknowledge its failure and accept its position as a bleak point in Air Jordan lore or they’ll punch you in the face. That’s the dichotomy of the Air Jordan 2; there’s a sizable chunk of people who ride for it and act like it’s on par with the Air Jordans 1, 3, 4 and 5. The rest of the world? Ambivalence. It’s the scene from Mad Men that’s become a legendary meme where Michael Ginsberg represents the Air Jordan 2’s potential while Don Draper represents the other Js and can’t even be bothered to care.
The polarizing legacy of the Jordan 2 was courtesy of Bruce Kilgore and Peter Moore, designer of the Air Jordan 1. Funny enough, the Air Jordan 2 was originally supposed to look a lot like the Air Jordan 1 before pivoting to what Nike pitched as the intersection of luxury and performance, aka something you could wear with a suit. Crafted with soft Italian leather and designed with an elevated mindset, the Air Jordan 2 was eye-catching in many ways. The Swoosh was gone in favor of the Jordan Wings logo becoming the primary identifier, signaling a desire to frame Jordans as something beyond Nike years before Jordan Brand would come to life. Whether it was to promote the sneaker’s luxury angle or they couldn’t make enough pairs, there weren’t too many ways to see the Air Jordan 2 at launch.
Unlike the Air Jordan 1 that was widely available and came in a variety of colorways, the Air Jordan initially dropped in 30 locations across 19 cities, limiting its ability to break through. It also didn’t help that the price increased by $35 to $100. That's a laughable number in 2025, but a dealbreaker for parents in 1987. Despite having his best season in the NBA to date that included his first Dunk Contest win and scoring title, Michael Jordan was so disappointed with the Air Jordan 2’s reception that he seriously considered leaving Nike. That’s how fast the game can switch up.
LeBron James - Nike LeBron 2
Ask anybody but the most diehard sneakerheads about the Nike LeBron 2 and their mind will draw blanks. Not because the LeBron 2 was a bad shoe; it’s still widely regarded to this day as one of the best performance basketball shoes Nike ever made. But what they did not do was penetrate the mainstream like the Zoom Generation. In hindsight, the LeBron 2 went the opposite direction of the Air Jordan 2. Instead of pitching a luxury angle, the LeBron 2 doubled down and became a hooper's dream sneaker with its killer lockdown strap and top notch performance. That certainly appeals to those who take their basketball game seriously, but for the growing generation (and consumer base) that wants a sneaker they can show off both on and off the court, it felt short of expectations.
Fortunately, there’s more than enough fans of both the Air Jordan 2 and Nike LeBron 2 that they are relegated to cult favorites instead of failures so it’s not a total wash. The third person who usually gets thrown into GOAT conversations does not have the same luxury.
Kobe Bryant - adidas Kobe 2
The adidas KOBE 2. That’s it, right? We don’t actually have to talk about this abomination, do we? Technically, the late Kobe Bryant’s second second signature shoe - the adidas KB8 II being the first - the KOBE 2 was successful in replicating the look of its inspiration, the Audi TT Roadster. The problem was people weren’t looking for Audis on their feet. The pivot from the KB8 to KOBE was a bold move that signaled a vision for what basketball shoes would look like in the new millennium. Unfortunately, that bet did not pay off for adidas as Bryant would become so disillusioned with the brand he paid to get out his contract and sign with Nike two years after the KOBE 2 dropped.
Allen Iverson - Reebok Answer 1
The Reebok Question was undeniable. The name, which was a play on Allen Iverson’s nickname “The Answer,” set the table for a new generation to enter the NBA and popular culture. Could this kid lead the Philadelphia 76ers back to championship prominence? Can a player who’s generously listed at six feet really be the face of the NBA? Why would Reebok bet the house on such a mercurial talent? Iverson would prove the doubters wrong with a Rookie of the Year campaign that included numerous highlights like the one where he crossed over the then-current face of the league Michael Jordan in the blue toe colorway of the Question. With a classic look that may or may not reference a certain Air Jordan with patent leather, the Question remains Iverson’s most popular sneaker to this day.
Instead of laying down another Question, although they did eventually make a Question 2 years later, Reebok followed up the instant classic with the Answer 1. Featuring the DMX10 cushioning system that used pods to transfer air and a hidden lacing system that gave the sneaker a stealthy vibe, the Answer 1, much like the Zoom LeBron 2, was a hit with Iverson fans and hoopers alike. What it failed to do was live up to the standard that the Question would set. Culturally, Iverson’s star would continue to grow as he became a sort of sports antihero: a people’s champion who wasn’t respected by the powers that be. Unlike Jordan, LeBron, and Kobe, the shoes didn’t always come along for the ride.
Steph Curry - Under Armour Curry 2
Steph Curry’s first year as a signature shoe athlete with Under Armour could be best described as transformative. Prior to the launch of the UA Curry 1, the brand struggled to break into the sneaker market, unable to replicate the success it had in apparel. But thanks to some botched Nike meetings and the promise of a signature shoe, Under Armour landed Curry just as he was ascending into megastardom. The UA Curry 1 was a huge hit for the brand, launching months before Curry led the Golden State Warriors to a championship. With so much momentum heading into year two, the UA Curry 2 actually had a good start to its run. The releases were coming in at a decent clip, Steph was breaking the game en route to his second MVP, and the Warriors won a record 73 regular-season games.
But then, Under Armour overplayed its hand, and nothing was ever the same. The infamous Chef colorway became one of the biggest memes of the time. The roasting of the sneakers, Under Armour, and Steph was so bad that they are arguably still fighting some of that stigma today. Not even a conscious uncoupling with the UA logo, a fourth championship with Kevin Durant, breaking the three-point record, and finally winning a gold medal with a signature “night night” pose has earned Steph enough goodwill to make people forget about the Chef Currys.
Sneaker Sequels that Don’t Rock The Boat
So what about the sequels that did break the mold? It’s not an insignificant list. The Nike Air Penny 2, with some help from a Chris Rock-voiced Lil Penny, elevated Penny Hardaway to new heights. The Nike Kyrie 2 had the benefit of being on Kyrie Irving’s feet when he hit the game-clinching shot that won the Cleveland Cavaliers their first championship in franchise history. The FILA GH2 had everybody checking for FILA, immortalized forever in a photo featuring the late Tupac Shakur. The Reebok Shaqnosis was a mind-boggling piece of footwear that made everybody forget about the Shaq Attaq, although opinions on that have changed through the years whether that was actually for the better or not. Kanye West avoided the slump twice across the two brands with the Nike Air Yeezy 2 and the adidas Yeezy 350. It’s when you start getting past this group of outstanding second sneakers is where you will find a lot of sneakers that are just kind of middle-of-the-road.
With so much riding on the adidas Anthony Edwards 2, it’s reasonable to look back at adidas and other brands’ previous sophomore efforts and concern troll a little bit. After the adidas D Rose 2 and 2.5 were permanently scarred due to Derrick Rose’s career-altering ACL injury, we’ve seen James Harden, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, and Trae Young’s second signature shoes all come and go without a pop from the sneaker world. Nike and Jordan Brand has not fared that much better with their current crop of signature athletes, as everything from the Nike Ja 2 to the Jordan Luka 2 have been unable to match even the energy surrounding older efforts like the Nike KD 2 or the Jordan Melo 5.5. And if those sneakers are not inciting passionate responses in either the affirmative or the negative, they just become relics lost to the ether of sneaker history.
Hope Comes In 3s
The good news with a signature athlete getting a second sneaker is that chances are there will be a third. And if there’s a third, a fourth is not that far away. Establishing a new signature shoe is the easy part because that’s going to be welcomed with open arms and minds. The follow-up typically can't replicate the magic of the first but by releasing a second shoe, it establishes that this signature line and athlete are here to stay (unless you’re Trae Young). In a sense, it follows the narrative arc of a movie trilogy where the first entry establishes the ground rules and sets the stage for a melancholy and possibly tragic sequel that brings the energy down before raising it back up with a triumphant third entry like the legendary Jordan 3. So if the adidas AE 2 isn't the second coming of the adidas AE 1, don’t worry, history has shown us it’s not the end of the story (unless you’re Trae Young).
From video game journalism to veteran of the sneaker blog era to podcasting about well, everything, Juan is smiling through it all and can't believe this is his life. After recently getting into Formula 1, he now has hot takes about who the greatest driver of all time is. Email: juan@soleretriever.com
