He may not be a household name just yet, but Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves has already been given his own signature shoe, and now he wants some skin in the game.
The 25-year-old put pen to paper in June 2023, inking a deal with Chinese brand Rigorer to make an Austin Reaves signature sneaker that was released a couple months later.
However, Reaves is now looking to build upon his relationship with Rigorer, renegotiating a new multi-year deal that makes him a part owner in the company, in a deal worth reportedly more than seven figures per year.
His sneakers, named simply the Rigorer AR1, were the first pair of shoes to be made by the company that have featured on an NBA court. But now there’s more colourways in the pipeline that will soon be added to their growing collection.
In addition to this renegotiation news, the sneaker brand is releasing a new colourway of the Rigorer AR1 — ‘Milky Way’ — meant to symbolise Reaves’ career achievements, along with representing the festive season ahead.
Unlike your regular sneaker deal that players such as Ja Morant, Jayson Tatum and Devin Booker have done in recent years, Reaves looked abroad for a sneaker company that were willing to make a dream of his come true.
Rigorer may be unknown by over 90% of the NBA community, but they are clearly on a mission to change that, offering this whopping upgraded seven-figure deal to the Lakers star to make an Austin Reaves a part owner along with being their signature athlete.
So far there Austin Reaves has worn the Rigorer AR1s throughout the 2023/24 season to much fan fair. But here’s everything you need to know about Reaves’ signature sneaker.
Reaves signs seven figure multi-year deal to become part owner of Rigorer
As of early-December, sources have reported that Los Angeles Lakers’ star Austin Reaves has renegotiated a contract extension with Rigorer — the brand that released his first signature shoe in mid-2023.
The partners of the Chinese sportswear brand announced that this contract extension would make Reaves part owner in the company, meaning not only would be on a seven-figure deal per year, but would receive royalties from his shoes’ sales and earn a substantial amount of shares.
In celebration of the new deal, Rigorer are releasing a new colourway of the Rigorer AR1 called ‘Milky Way’, that is inspired by the combination of Reaves’ career success and the festive season.
When did the Austin Reaves signature sneaker get released and how much do they cost?
The wait for Austin Reaves’s first signature shoe is finally over, with the announcement of more colourways on the horizon.
They initially dropped in August 2023 and have been selling for around $100 USD ($150 AUD).
Austin Reaves debuted them on foot in the Lakers’ opening game of the 2023/24 season, where Reaves dropped 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists in a 12-point loss to Denver.
These shoes are available via Rigorer’s website and its unsure whether other select sneaker retails will release them as of early-December.
What are the details on the Austin Reaves signature sneaker?
Based off the first leaked images of the Rigorer AR1, the colour-way seems to stick with the Los Angeles Lakers’ purple and gold, with no other colours shown as of mid-June.
A mesh body of the shoe has a combination of black, white, gold and purple finishes with an outer sole that fades from that purple to a white colour.
The most eye-catching aspect of the Austin Reaves signature sneaker is the apparent ‘rifle cross-section’ logo that is shown on the outer side of the shoe. It seems to be a play on Austin Reaves’s initials ‘AR’ which is often short for ‘assault rifle’.
They won’t be too much of a transition for Reaves, who has predominantly worn Nike products in his short career; Kyrie’s and Kobe’s.
The Rigorer AR1 maintains a low-cut design with breathable material, similar to those sneakers.
What has Austin Reaves said about his first signature shoe?
Only recently having completed his second season in the NBA, it has been a quick rise to the top of the sneaker game for Austin Reaves and he says he is blessed to be in the situation he’s in.
Speaking with Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Reaves explained his emotions surrounding the upcoming release of his first signature sneaker.
“If you would’ve told me I would have a signature shoe at 18, I’d have looked at you and called you a liar,” Reaves said.
“There’s probably 20-something people in the NBA that have a signature shoe so honestly I am blessed.”
“I have to pinch myself sometimes to really understand what’s going on.”
