The Suns star recently unveiled his second signature shoe with Nike, the Book 2, designed to perform on the court and live on the streets.
Devin Booker is entering a new era with apparel and footwear partner Nike. On Tuesday, the Phoenix Suns star unveiled the Nike Book 2, his second signature sneaker and apparel collection. Unlike the Book 1, which was inspired by classic cars, the Book 2 draws its main aesthetic points from his love of skateboarding, vintage cars, and classic Nike Sportswear. It also represents a modern take on basketball’s most classic style, but now expertly fine-tuned to perform both on and off the hardwood.
Nike Book 2
Courtesy of Nike
Ahead of the shoe’s debut, Nike invited a group of creators to Oregon for a hands-on look at the shoe and its design story. Located near the newly renamed Philip H. Knight Campus in Beaverton, Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS) serves as an inventive lab where many of the sneakers we know and love are conceived and tested by an experienced team of designers and researchers. The chances of even a Nike employee entering the space are slim to none, but Boardroom spent the evening inside, talking all things innovation with Ben Nethongkome, lead designer for Booker’s footwear. Alongside his team, he spent the last 18 months developing this sneaker with the Suns star, surrounded by mixed materials and workshopping various colorways to craft the first edition of the silhouette, a tribute to his 11 seasons in the Arizona desert.
Eventually, they landed on a design that transitions as effortlessly from the court to the street as Book does himself. As Nethongkome explains, Booker grew up wearing his basketball sneakers all day, so he wanted to evoke that same feeling as an adult. The Book 2 sits lower to the ground, with a sleeker midsole and a trimmed-down cross-section for an enhanced court feel. Nike also shifted the Zoom Air bag from the heel in Book 1 to the forefoot in Book 2, delivering the kind of pop and responsiveness players crave.
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Throughout Booker’s time with us at BRS, he continually lauded how his favorite part of developing his signature shoes is the storytelling aspect of it. It might be a sneaker to some, but to the Kentucky alumni, it’s a snippet of a life well lived, from the days of growing up in Grand Rapids to now, a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
“I didn’t want any shoe to be the red and white shoe or the green and orange shoe. I wanted each one to represent something from my life, something from Phoenix,” Booker explained. “Even our old silhouette and colorways that people have fallen in love with in the past. With so many colorways, you just keep digging deeper and deeper. Now I have more stories to tell with the [Book] 2.”
When asked to describe the shoe to his teammates in a single word, Booker chuckled and quipped: “Reactive.” Why? That could be in large part thanks to the low-profile design built around the forefoot Air Zoom unit, Cushlon 3.0 midsole, plush foam sockliner, and a modern, molded upper.
A big part of the conversation surrounding the Book 1 was its simplistic composition. Sure, it might not appear to be the pillar of peak performance at first glance, but the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, which Booker says was the perfect draw he and the design team were looking for.
“I know a lot of people have tried to transcend the court. You see them wearing the shoes out, and it looks like you’re wearing a basketball shoe, just not on the court. So that was the top of every conversation we had,” Booker said. “I do not want to lose the integrity of being able to wear this off court. Now, when I see people, even security in the arena, whoever’s wearing them, it looks like a shoe that belongs in the streets.”
The Art of the Worn-In Look
Alongside the unveiling of Book 2, we’d be remiss to not mention the accompanying apparel collection, which is one of the most carefree capsules from an athlete in recent memory. Comprised of hoodies, sweats, jackets, and tees, the clothing is uniquely Booker. His design team walked us through their vision for this drop, capitalizing on their vast and diverse stock of dyes, textiles, finishes, and prints to produce the eight-piece set. They have that worn-in vintage feel, which, if you’ve seen Book’s style evolution, his recent pre-game fits include a number of items with that same effect.
Nike Book 2
Courtesy of Nike
You might also have noticed that the sweats have rough edges at the hem — that’s intentional. Booker’s designer says that during the early stages, he literally took a pair of scissors and cut the pants’ prototype to give it a frayed appearance, while still keeping it polished. Yes, they can be worn while hooping. But their ideal weight and oversized fit make them equally suited for a post-scrimmage ensemble.
As a dog dad (now x2), the collection isn’t complete without mention of his beloved first Cane Corso mastiff, Haven. When asked if his new addition, Hector, would appear in future apparel markups, Booker coyly smirked and said, “You’ll see.”
The Nike Book 2 footwear and apparel will be available to the public in January 2026 on Nike’s website and select retail locations.
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Vinciane Ngomsi
Vinciane Ngomsi is a Staff Writer at Boardroom. She began her career in sports journalism with bylines at SB Nation, USA Today, and most recently Yahoo. She received a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Truman State University, and when she's not watching old clips of Serena Williams' best matches, she is likely perfecting her signature chocolate chip cookie recipe or preparing a traditional Cameroonian meal.