NIKE PG 2.5 x PLAYSTATION
BEHIND THE DESIGN
When the original PlayStation debuted, it revolutionised video games forever, thanks to its iconic games, real-time 3D-rendered graphics and use of the CD-ROM format. In a similar way, performance basketball shoes like the Nike Blazer and Air Force 1 changed the game through design and innovation that live on in numerous models and signature lines.
One of these shoes, the Nike PG 1, was made for the versatility of Paul George's two-way game. Released in 2017, it had a video-game rendering of George on the sockliner. Then in early 2018, George and Nike Basketball partnered with PlayStation to debut his next signature shoe, the PG 2 x PlayStation, inspired by the PS4's DualShock4 controller. Now, the PG 2.5 gets the old-school PlayStation-inspired makeup, using the precise grey of the original console and the classic four-colour PlayStation logo on the tongue.
Throughout Nike Basketball's collaborations with PlayStation, colour-matching has played a crucial role. For the PG 2.5 x PlayStation, it took seven iterations to get the colours exactly right, including the yellow, green, blue and red Swooshes that pop on the heels.
Similar to the PG 2 x PlayStation, Nike Basketball designers applied the iconic PlayStation symbols to the side of the shoe and used a reverse application of the original light-up tongues. In keeping with the original PlayStation design, both teams agreed that it was important to keep the shoe's overall appearance clean and simple.
It's safe to say that if Paul George isn't playing basketball, he might just be playing video games on his PlayStation, typically between three to five hours a day. The timing of the PG 2.5 x PlayStation couldn't be any better, with the release of the PlayStation Classic coming on 3 December.
