Zion Williamson didn't miss a beat in his return to Duke. In the ACC Tournament against Syracuse, Williamson dropped 29 points and hauled in 14 more rebounds en route to an 84-72 win. Not lost amid the buzz around Zion is the fact that Duke looks like a favorite again with its best player back in the fold. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE SHOES? Williamson, as we all know by now, wore Paul George's signature shoes by Nike when they blew out against North Carolina at the very beginning of the game, injuring his knee. On Thursday, he went back to a tested favorite: The old Kyrie 4s. So, the numbers are good, but how did Williamson look? He looks pretty OK. The shoes Williamson wore were custom, with the Duke logo on the back. USATSI After the game, the first question in the postgame press conference was, of course, about his shoes. "The shoes were incredible this game," Williamson quipped. Williamson was also asked about any specific modifications to the shoes. "I couldn't really specifically tell you if I wanted to," Williamson said. "I just know they're a little stronger than the regular Kyrie 4's, so I want to thank Nike for making these, but, yeah, they felt very comfortable." The fact is, when you play with the tenacity that Williamson does, freak accidents might happen. It's good to see him back for tournament play -- he's the most exciting player in college basketball, and fans are interested to see what happens with him throughout the rest of March. They'll also want to know about his shoes.<doc-sep>Call it the blowout heard 'round the world. Duke basketball superstar Zion Williamson was taking on North Carolina Wednesday night in one of the most-viewed college hoops games ever aired on ESPN when, just 33 seconds into the game, his shoes came flying apart. As the six-seven, 284-pound freshman planted his left foot on the hard maple floor at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Duke-specific PG 2.5 — a signature model crafted for NBA star Paul George and one of the most-worn models in both college basketball and the NBA — gave out, with the upper ripping away from the midsole. A detailed view of the shoe worn by Zion Williamson no. 1 of the Duke Blue Devils against the North Carolina Tar Heels during their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 20, 2019, in Durham, North Carolina. Streeter Lecka Getty Images After Williamson left the game just 33 seconds into the contest, the shock waves spread around the sports world. Duke lost. Nike’s stock price dropped more than 1 percent the following day. And everybody, including the PG 2.5’s namesake player, was left wondering just how in the hell a shoe outfitting the presumptive number one pick in the NBA draft could come undone less than a minute into a basketball game. “We are obviously concerned and want to wish Zion a speedy recovery,” Nike said in a statement. “The quality and performance of our products are of utmost importance. While this is an isolated occurrence, we are working to identify the issue.” Until Nike releases more details, we’re left to ponder what could have gone so wrong. The issue could come down to just how these special-edition Duke shoes were constructed, where they were made, or whether the titanic Williamson is simply too big for his sneakers (Paul George, by comparison, is six nine, 220 pounds). This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Honestly at Zion’s size he needs to change up & wear Brons shoe. They are literally built for a guy his size. I remember after my back surgery I changed up shoes because of the shock impacted to my back. Tried diff styles some didn’t work. This freak accident sucks I pray he’s ok — Swin Cash (@SwinCash) February 21, 2019 The blowout appeared to happen where the upper connects to the midsole. This kind of failure isn’t uncommon in athletic sneakers made with so-called Strobel construction. The Strobel method produces plenty of flex, and allows a sock-like feel by using a cloth connection to stitch the upper (the portion of the shoe that wraps the foot) to the midsole (the section that contains the cushioning). The midsole sits atop the traction-containing outsole, and the two are often cemented together. Strobel construction offers overlock stitching to connect the sneaker’s last to the midsole for a more flexible and comfortable feel. But, as with any construction method, things can go wrong. Stitches can loosen, force can place too much pressure on stitching, or mistakes can happen at the factory. For the PG 2.5, Nike designers used a half-bootie construction to secure the foot “with a streamlined fit.” (George now wears the just-released PG 3, although most NBA players and college teams are still donning the PG 2.5, which was released in summer 2018. SBNation reports that Williamson has worn a variety of other signature shoes throughout the 2018–19 basketball season.) In press material released at the shoe’s launch, Nike says George’s game requires a shoe with a super-snug, supportive feel. To enhance that support, designer Tony Hardman added a stretch zone in the forefoot, which adapts to George’s foot as he moves in shoes featuring thick mesh. Then the designer added “dynamic wings” over the top of the stretch zone for additional support. “It creates a nice hug,” he says. The shoe that blew. Streeter Lecka Getty Images In the midsole of the PG 2.5, Nike combined its Phylon foam with a Nike Air Zoom bag in the forefoot. “Reducing the weight suits [George’s] style of play. He’ll set and pop from three off of his forefoot and he’s doing a lot of cutting and slashing from the balls of his feet, both offensively and defensively,” Hardman says. “That softer midsole foam and the forefoot Zoom bag help him to generate more speed.” On the Nike website, the company says the PG 2.5 is designed for the game’s most versatile players with a light yet strong construction and a supportive strap and comfortable cushioning. For a player like Williamson, he may simply have been too much for the shoe—so powerful that some small construction issue could have caused the highest-profile shoe malfunction in NCAA history. Follow Tim Newcomb on Twitter at @tdnewcomb. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>Today’s Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy<doc-sep>
If the shoe fits, dominate. With a reinforced pair of sneakers that sent Nike officials scurrying off to China to avoid a repeat of Zion Williamson’s shoe blowout last month, the freshman sensation returned to the Duke lineup with a perfect 13-for-13 shooting night and 29 points Thursday night in the Blue Devils’ 84-72 win over Syracuse in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament. Williamson, the likely first overall pick in the 2019 draft, was happy afterward with his switch from Paul George-model PG 2.5s to Kyrie Irving-model Kyrie 4s in his first appearance in more than three weeks. “The shoes were incredible in this game,” Williamson said. “I couldn’t really specifically tell you if I wanted to (switch). I just know they’re a little stronger than the regular Kyrie 4s, so I want to thank Nike for making these. They felt very comfortable.” Williamson missed five games after suffering a sprained knee when his left shoe exploded in the opening minutes of Duke’s loss to North Carolina on Feb. 20. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, according to USA Today, said Nike sent “their top people” to the Durham campus and then to China to oversee the production of new shoes for Williamson. Krzyzewski added that he expects the 6-7, 285-pound forward to change sneakers more frequently now because it was determined that wear and tear “contributed to the blowout.” Williamson also scoffed at those who suggested he should sit out the rest to avoid risking further injury ahead of the NBA draft, adding his knee feels “incredible” heading into postseason play. “I come ready to kill every game, so it was just great to get back on the court,” Williamson told ESPN after Thursday’s victory. “I love this game, I love my teammates, so people who thought I wasn’t going to return, they weren’t smart. I love playing with Duke. I love my teammates and it was great to be back.” Third-seeded Duke faces No. 2 North Carolina on Friday in the ACC tournament semifinals, with top-seeded Virginia facing No. 4 Florida State in the other matchup.