The Nike Book 2 Phoenix Rises From the Ashes

After nearly two years on the market, Devin Booker’s first signature sneaker with Nike, the Book 1, went up in flames. We’re not just speaking metaphorically, Booker literally torched a pair on his Instagram story in a symbolic rebirth that plays into the mythology of a phoenix. What followed was an official on-court debut of the Nike Book 2. Before showing the entire world the new model, Sole Retriever was fortunate to get an early preview of the sneaker, which included the Phoenix pair he rocked against the Blazers.

As explained by Nike Basketball designer Ben Nethongkome, who worked on both the Book 1 and Book 2, the Torched colorway of the Book 1 plays into the storyline of the very first Book 2 colorway to hit shelves. When a phoenix burns, it turns to ash and is reborn from its very own death, clearly seen here with the 1-of-1,996 Book 1 Torched and the follow-up, the Book 2 Phoenix. The molded leather upper is crafted in a fiery solar orange and deep orange gradient, transitioning into darker tones as you move toward the sole unit. A literal fire graphic is displayed on the midfoot Swoosh, which runs past the Nike Air Zoom Spiridon-inspired midfoot cage.