“I definitely was surprised. I knew they was hard myself, but of course you don’t know what everybody is going to think,” said Anthony Edwards after the release of the AE1. The Timberwolves star’s first signature shoe with Adidas was, without a doubt, a success. After stretching the shoe’s lifecycle out over two NBA seasons, Adidas finally gave the player a 2nd line of signature sneakers, with new colorways dropping as well, shortly. But the fan reaction suggests that the new model might not live up to the expectations set by the AE1.

The official Instagram account of ‘brkicks’ recently published a first look at the Adidas AE 2 in the ‘Blue Fusion’ colorway. As the name suggests, the sneaker features a fusion of colors, with blue being the most prominent, along with black, white, and lime burst also incorporated throughout the shoes. The titular hue is placed on the textured mesh along the midfoot. The black collar, tongue, lace set, and internal neoprene bootie all contrast with the lime burst placed on the AE and Adidas logos located on the tongue and heel.

Along with the colors, the shoe features a Lightstrike and Lightboost-cushioned foam midsole, a propulsion plate, and a multi-directional rubber herringbone traction pattern on the outsole. This gives basketball players the required comfort when using the shoes during games, and for general sneakerheads to walk better during outings.

This release came amid a period of uncertainty for Anthony Edwards. A few days back, Kendrick Perkins, the man with the hottest takes in the hoops world, said that, “If Anthony Edwards don’t reach the NBA Finals, he’s going to request a trade from Minnesota…$45M is not really at the top of the top, Bradley Beal is making $52M”. 

While Perkins may have a point, Minnesota has made deep playoff runs in the last couple of years, reaching the Conference Finals on both occasions. In short, they’re a serious outfit capable of going deep in the postseason. And there’s no guarantee that the grass will be greener on the other side.

But while rumors around his future keep swirling, his new sneaker release isn’t receiving the desired response from the fans. If the comments section of the IG post is an indication, then people aren’t hyped that much for this shoe.

Social media users snub the look of Anthony Edwards’ new signature shoe

Let’s get straight into it. “Im still eh but maybe different color ways will be 🔥”. Wrote one netizen. Compared to how the AE1 dominantly contained only 1 or 2 colors, the fusion of additional color schemes might take time for people to adjust to. Then again, how accustomed could one get to blue and lime on the same shoe?

Another user wrote, “These colors hella bogus”. Echoing the thoughts of other fans, the main issue with the sneaker seems to be the color scheme used, which, admittedly, is a bit awkward. Another netizen followed this up by writing, “Literally hardens bro”. One social media user wrote, “Literally hardens bro”. Some might say that the new AE 2 holds a resemblance to the Harden Vol 7. After all, they hold similarities in the shape of the sides and in the way the lace part extends to the front of the shoe.

One individual wrote, “When the sequel sucks. 😂”. The new version of the AE shoes reportedly removed the shoe’s all-encompassing outer shell. All so that they could favor stripped-down support overlays while retaining the inner bootie. This allowed the general shape to be the same, while more options came up for color blocking. Another user chimed in with, “Not bad, they just look bulky and heavy”. Well, we won’t know for certain until the AE2s hit the stores.

Overall, the majority of reactions highlighted people not being too impressed with the upcoming Adidas release. What are your thoughts on the sneakers? Let us know in the comments.