Victor Wembanyama surprised fans on October 26, when he arrived at a game against the Houston Rockets wearing 'Wookiee of the Year' sneakers. The all-new sneakers celebrate Wemby's 2023-2024 Rookie of the Year victory and were created by his longtime collaborators at Nike GT Hustle.
The Wookiee of the Year is a player-exclusive (PE) model that combines Wemby's love for Star Wars and the unmatched comfort of the GT Hustle 3 basketball sneakers. Unlike the regular White-Racer Blue color themes, Victor Wembanyama's Nike G3 Hustle featured a faux fur body and a metallic swoosh.
The much-anticipated collab triggered hilarious reactions of awe and envy from netizens as images of the Wookiee of the Year sneakers went viral on Saturday. Reacting to the speculation that the player-exclusive sneakers may not be available for purchase, a netizen humorously commented how they hated the world for that:
Tuning in to the conversation, some Instagram users dropped hysterical comments about the look of the sneakers that resembled Chewbacca from Star Wars:
"the chewbacca ones," said one user.
"bro wearing a carpet on his feet 😂😂," commented a netizen.
"They took some Nikes from a Thrift store and glued pieces of a rug to them 🤣," joked an Instagram user.
Others laughed about the design and practicality of the Wookie of the Year sneakers as they commented:
"Why they got a wig on," asked a netizen.
"one raindrop gonna turn it into a wet rat," commented another netizen.
"Just what I needed to complete my Halloween costume 🤡," said one user.
"Thought it was some cooked lobsters at first lol," joked an Instagram user.
A look at Victor Wembanyama's Rookie of the Year season and the Wookiee of the Year sneakers
Victor Wembanyama signed with the San Antonio Spurs in June 2023 after being selected with the first overall pick in the NBA draft. He made his NBA Summer League debut with the team in July 2023 and played in the 76-68 win against the Charlotte Hornets.
The rising star continued to play competitively in the 2023-2024 season and became a crowd-favorite in no time. Wemby's performance made him one of the most loved contenders for the 2023-2024 Rookie of the Year award, which he secured with a total of 495 points.
Victor Wembanyama celebrated his accomplishments with the Wookie of the Year sneakers this month. The furry sneakers perfectly resemble the legendary 'Wookie' warrior, Chewbacca, from the Star Wars franchise.
Victor Wembanyama's Wookie of the Year sneaker is built upon the sporty GT Hustle 3 design and features dark colors instead of white. It is decorated with faux brown leather and black fur covering the whole upper body. Wemby's PE sneaker features the unique knitting of the GT Hustle 3 line and a golden Nike swoosh attached to the body with a brown fabric loop.
The Wookie of the Year sneaker also includes Victor Wembanyama's alien logo on the top of the tongue in a metallic gold finish. The insides of the footwear have a comfortable Zoom Air Strobe unit and two stacks of Zoom Air units for the forefoot. The sneaker is complemented with a sturdy black rubber outsole.
Nike's player-exclusive shoes are highly sought after by fans and collectors alike, but they are not meant for sale through any retail mediums. Unfortunately, Victor Wembanyama's Wookie of the Year sneakers fall in the same format and will not be available to the general public.