Li-Ning basketball shoes

Li-Ning basketball shoes

Li-Ning is started in the late 80s by a decorated gymnast called Li Ning. The company releases athletic shoes and other apparel for running, badminton, basketball, and training. Li-Ning has deals with NBA players CJ McCollum and Dwyane Wade to establish itself as a formidable force on the basketball court.

Dwyane Wade and his Li-Ning basketball shoes

Dwyane Wade is among the most successful players in the NBA, alongside Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James. He has become so popular that brands are willing to pay just to be partners with him. In the early 2000s, he was with Converse and he has his own signature line there. Before the end of the first decade, he transfered to the Jordan Brand where he also had a handful of signature releases.

In 2012, he made another switch, this time to Chinese brand Li-Ning, which immediately gave him the now successful Way of Wade (WoW) signature shoe collection, which is composed of well-reviewed mid- and low-tops. Each WoW shoe is equipped with technologies that are comparable to the ones used popular releases from Nike and Adidas.

Owing to its commercial success, the WoW brand easily becomes the flagship offer of Li-Ning, at least in the United States. This personal brand has diversified; it now also releases other sports apparel such as shirts and caps.

Apparently, Dwyane Wade has finally found his home; he signed a lifetime deal with Li-Ning in 2018.