Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks closed out their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks Friday night, and the star guard did so while debuting a sneaker timed perfectly for the lead-up to Star Wars Day.
The Jalen Brunson x Nike Kobe 6 Protro PE “Knightfall Vader” looks to the Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the dark side. A blue-to-red gradient Swoosh invokes the lightsabers of Jedi and Sith, as a does a translucent outsole that’s blue at the forefoot and red at the heel. A gradient likewise defines the upper as its shifts from gray to black, while red is used for the remaining branding and the midsole comes in solid black.
Brunson wore the sneaker days prior to May 4, which has been celebrated as Star Wars Day since 1977 because of the pun, “May the fourth be with you.” His choice to focus on Anakin’s journey shouldn’t come as a surprise for anyone who remembers a pair of off-season tweets from four years ago, as he said: What is the best Star Wars movie ever? Any answer that is not Episode 3 is wrong.”
While Nike has never had an official license for Star Wars — Adidas has held that claim since 2010 — that hasn’t stopped the brand from paying tribute to the franchise unofficially over the years. The SB Dunk Low “Jedi” looked to Yoda for its color palette in 2004, and four years later an SB Dunk High was modeled after Boba Fett’s armor. The bounty hunter also served as inspiration for a pair of Air Prestos from 2022, which had been the last homage until now.
As of now, there’s no indication that the Jalen Brunson x Nike Kobe 6 Protro PE “Knightfall Vader” will release to the public. But with several of his PEs having released before, there may remain hope that that’ll change.
Jalen Brunson x Nike Kobe 6 Protro PE “Knightfall Vader” (pair)
Jalen Brunson x Nike Kobe 6 Protro PE “Knightfall Vader” (lateral)
