Donovan Mitchell Pays Homage To Karl Malone With Upcoming Sneaker

Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell will see the release of his next adidas D.O.N Issue 1 sneakers pay tribute to team legend Karl Malone, per Sneakernews.com.

Mitchell, who is heading into his third year with the Jazz, had his first signature shoe announced by adidas late last year, with the red and blue kicks inspired by  fictional character Spider-Man as he goes by the nickname “Spida.” But the upcoming version will pay homage to the Hall of Famer.

The 56-year-old spent most of his career in Utah, getting drafted by the team in 1985 before joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 2003. Malone played a single season in Los Angeles in the hopes of capturing a title before he retired, teaming up with Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and another veteran in Gary Payton, who was also looking to get his first ring.

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out for the Mailman as the Lakers would reach the 2004 finals but fall short to the Detroit Pistons in five games. Payton would be more fortunate, finally capturing that elusive championship with O’Neal and the Miami Heat two years later.

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Despite never winning a title, Malone is remembered as one of the NBA’s best-ever talents.

As such, Mitchell’s adidas sneaker will come out in the colors of the Jazz’s late 90s uniforms and will feature the Rocky Mountain peaks on the sides. The purple and white shoes are called “The Mailman” and also bear a small mail stamp.

There’s no official release date on these sneakers but they should become available in the coming months. They could be picked up from licensed retailers and at adidas.com for $100.

Mitchell had previously discussed how he wanted his shoes to be available to more people, hence the price.

“Well, I think the accessibility will be a lot different,” he said upon the release in December. “We obviously have the Hardens, the Dames and others, but for me, I wanted the shoe to be accessible to all people, both price-wise and color-wise, and I wanted everything to be relatable to the everyday person that can’t spend $250 on shoes. I wanted to work with Adidas to find ways to make sure the shoe was accessible to everybody who wants to wear them.”

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