The shoe blowout seen around the world; the Nike PG 2.5 became infamous as the sneaker that couldn’t handle Zion Williamson.
Zion had been wearing the Duke Blue Devil PG 2.5 PE quite a bit prior to the rival game against the UNC Tar Heels, as he alternated between PGs and Kyrie sneakers. The PG 2.5 is essentially the same shoe as the PG 2, albeit with an added strap from the first PG sneaker. Both the 2.5 and 2 features a responsive Zoom Air unit in the forefoot, which you can see outlined on the outsole. Dynamic wings were added to the lower lace hole area to help with a 1-to-1 fit.
Opinions were split in terms of whether to blame Nike for bad craftsmanship, or praise Zion for his legendary strength. A biomechanics professor named Nate Hunt did provide some explanation. He told SB Nation that Zion took a sidestep in the moment and likely applied double the force of his weight to the point that ripped. This adds a little more credence to Zion being even more of a freak of nature than we thought.
You can find the Nike PG 2.5 at StockX, GOAT, Stadium Goods, and Flight Club.
