Stephen Curry Wears Anthony Edwards' 'Gold Medal' AE 1 Low at NBA All‑Star Weekend
Stephen Curry turned Media Day into a footwear moment Saturday (ET), stepping out in a player‑exclusive adidas Anthony Edwards 1 Low “Gold Medal” colorway. The move celebrated Curry and Edwards' shared Olympic gold medal while fueling chatter about adidas' push to court Curry in the wake of his split from his longtime brand partner.
The shoe and the moment
Though Curry sat out the All‑Star Game with a knee injury, he used Media Day to make a visual statement. The pair he wore closely mirrors the gold AE 1 Low Edwards has sported, but carries defining details tailored to Curry: his initials and his jersey number from the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. The customized touches reinforce the Olympic connection that links the two players and underline the celebratory nature of the selection.
The choice was immediately notable because Curry has recently been parading a variety of silhouettes tied to different brands. This gold AE 1 Low functions less like a standard endorsement and more like a public display of camaraderie — a sneaker tribute from one star to another that also happens to advance a brand narrative.
What this means for adidas and Curry's sneaker future
The adidas design, described as a player exclusive for Curry, arrives amid clear interest from adidas in landing one of the sport's most prized free agents in the sneaker market. The brand has been positioning itself actively: it previously had Curry debut a new Crazy Energy+ silhouette and now offered a bespoke AE colorway for the four‑time champion. Those moves suggest adidas is aggressively courting Curry as he considers his next long‑term deal.
That pursuit comes on the heels of a high‑profile split between Curry and his former partner. The prior brand released Curry's 13th signature shoe on Friday (ET), a model that has been framed as the final installment of that partnership following the November 2025 departure. With that chapter closed, Curry's footwear appearances take on greater significance — they are being read as signals even as he maintains that his selections are celebrations rather than explicit endorsements.
Edwards' reaction and the cultural ripple
Edwards' response captured the moment's emotional weight. He called the sight of Curry in his shoes “one of the best feelings in the world, ” adding that it was meaningful for the game’s greatest point guard to rock the AE silhouette. That personal endorsement underscores the bond forged in international play, where the two teamed up for gold in Paris.
From a cultural standpoint, the exchange amplifies the ongoing blurring of lines between on‑court performance and off‑court branding. Signature lines often serve as identity markers, and when a superstar borrows a teammate's signature pair it becomes a public nod that resonates with fans and sneaker collectors alike. Adidas has already shifted its AE strategy, focusing new releases on the second installment of Edwards' line while winding down colorways of the original model. Still, the brand can leverage this crossover moment to tighten its association with Curry if the relationship deepens.
For now, Curry's choice is part friendship, part optics, and part strategic theater. Whether the gold AE 1 Low is a one‑off salute or the opening move of a larger partnership will be one of the storylines to watch as the season progresses and as Curry's next footwear decisions come into view.
