Adidas AE

Anthony Edwards was selected first overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2020 NBA Draft after one season at the University of Georgia, and he signed a shoe deal with Adidas in December 2020, after playing just two games of his rookie season. A four-time All-Star from 2023 to 2026 and a 2024 Olympic gold medalist, Edwards plays an explosive style that his AE signature line is built to match.

The Adidas AE 1 debuted on December 16, 2023, in the “With Love” colorway, a peach-and-pink scheme inspired by the favorite colors of his late mother and grandmother. Priced at $120, it paired a dual-density midsole of Lightstrike and fully encased Jet Boost with an X-shaped spring plate for torsional rigidity, while a honeycomb-patterned TPU wrap, the Generative Support Wing, provided lateral containment over a sock-like textile upper. A full-length herringbone outsole handled traction. The shoe became a best-seller, and Adidas later signed Edwards to a multiyear extension reported to be worth around $50 million. The AE 1 Low followed in July 2024, debuting in the “Ascent” colorway at $110.

The Adidas AE 2 launched on October 4, 2025, at $130, again in a “With Love” colorway that echoed the color blocking of the first shoe. It replaced the TPU shell with breathable mesh and textiles supported by thin “Articulated Fangs,” hollowed out the X-shaped plate for more forefoot flexibility, and used a full-length Lightboost midsole with Lightstrike. Its collar sits lower than the AE 1’s, and its herringbone traction was split into flexible segments.