Dwyane Wade unveils new Li-Ning signature shoes

　　When Dwyane Wade ended his association with Jordan Brand only a few weeks ago, the assumption and reports of everyone indicated that he would sign a new deal with emerging Chinese brand Li-Ning. It was a big change for Wade, but also an opportunity for him to help establish a new market force rather than help a preexisting power player. The only question was if his new products would entice basketball fans to buy them.

　　On Tuesday, Wade revealed his Li-Ning deal and "Way of Wade" shoes at an event in Beijing (the Heat are in town for a few preseason games). While it may seem that Li-Ning got these shoes together awfully quickly following the end of Wade's deal with Jordan Brand, Jonathan Sawyer of Complex reports that Li-Ning had done prep work for a superstar's sneaker and brought those preexisting designs to Wade. They also claim that Wade is and will continue to be heavily involved in the design process, so we should see some changes and new colorways for the "Way of Wade" shoes soon.



　　Wade's Li-Ning look is quite different from the more familiar designs he wore for Jordan Brand, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The key will be for the designs to reflect his sensibilities, and for the nation's consumers to care.

　　That last bit is where things get tricky. Li-Ning has worked with a superstar before — Shaquille O'Neal represented the brand from 2006 to 2010. However, as most basketball fans know, Shaq was nowhere near his peak during that period, which helped ensure that Li-Ning didn't get quite the sort of brand awareness they likely hoped for when they signed him. While Wade is not especially old at 30 years old, there have been signs that he's entering a new period in his career, one where he might not be quite the league-altering player he once was. He's an All-Star, certainly, but also clearly a level below his teammate LeBron James. It's an open question as to whether he can still command the attention (and dollars) of the sneaker-buying public.

　　However, those questions haven't been answered yet, and Li-Ning has many reasons to be positive. In a few years, we could identify Wade's launch as the moment when a new power emerged in the world of basketball shoes and apparel.