Anta, Peak, and Li-Ning All Launch Carbon-Plated Basketball Shoes for 2026 NBA Season
· fashion-sports
The 2026 NBA playoffs have been a showcase for Chinese basketball shoe brands. Anta (Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving), Peak (Anthony Edwards), and Li-Ning (Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade) have all released new carbon-plated signature shoes in time for the postseason, with three of the four conference finalists wearing Chinese brands.
Why it matters
Five years ago, Nike and Adidas dominated NBA footwear, with Chinese brands limited to budget-friendly options. Today, the three leading Chinese basketball brands have signed most of the league’s biggest stars, and their signature shoes are widely regarded as technically competitive with the best Nike and Adidas have to offer, often at half the retail price.
What is new
- Anta released the KT10, Klay Thompson’s tenth signature shoe, with a full-length carbon plate and a new nitrogen-infused midsole at $160.
- Peak launched the AE1 Plus, Anthony Edwards’s follow-up to the AE1, with a more aggressive carbon plate geometry at $150.
- Li-Ning brought out the JB3, Jimmy Butler’s third signature shoe, with a new “wing” carbon plate design at $170.
The collective effect is that Chinese basketball shoes are no longer a curiosity but a serious part of the NBA footwear landscape. For fans in China and the broader Asian market, the visibility of these shoes on NBA players has been transformative for the brands’ domestic reputations.