The Sole Provider: Thirty Years of Nike Basketball

Designed with Nike’s trademark visually striking graphics, Sole Provider: Thirty Years of NIKE Basketball celebrates three decades of Nike basketball shoes and the culture that grew around them. Written by SLAM magazine editor-at-large Robert “Scoop” Jackson, the book tells the inside story of Nike Basketball—from its beginnings in 1972 to its rise as the dominant basketball footwear brand with more than 60% market share.

Filled with behind-the-scenes stories, facts, and interviews with NBA players, Nike footwear designers, musicians, and other influential figures in popular culture, Sole Provider places Nike’s evolution within the broader history of basketball. The book features exclusive material from the Nike archives, including vintage posters, print advertisements, commercial stills, behind-the-scenes photography, NBA images, and previously unpublished photographs.

Special features include:

• In-depth looks at the development of Nike’s most influential basketball shoes, including prototype sketches and interviews with their designers.
• Profiles of iconic sneakers and the players who made them famous, including the Blazer (George “Iceman” Gervin), the Bruin (Moses Malone), the Air Force I (Michael Ray Richardson), the Air Jordan (Michael Jordan), the Alpha Force (Charles Barkley), and many more.
• Previously unpublished images and archival insights featuring NBA legends such as Moses Malone, Patrick Ewing, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and Jason Kidd.
• Stills from memorable Nike advertising campaigns by Wieden + Kennedy featuring Spike Lee, Bugs Bunny, Steve Martin, Godzilla, Lil’ Penny, and other cultural icons.
• Index pages providing an at-a-glance visual catalog of Nike basketball shoes produced over the three-decade period.
• A chronological history of the partnership between Nike and the NBA, including coverage of the WNBA.