John Kim If you’re a fan and/or historian of basketball footwear, then Aaron Cooper’s a name that needs no introduction. At the helm of some of the greatest Nike Basketball shoe designs from the mid-1990s well into the new century while influencing some of the brand’s most forward-thinking and widespread innovations. Now in his post-Nike phase of his career, Aaron is looking to continue his work with brands on unique missions bound by the belief that basketball can unite us all.
EQLZ is a China-based brand that formed fairly recently. Coming together in 2018, EQLZ has been able to spread their vision into becoming one of the biggest supporters of the high school hoops movement in China, launching the EQLZ Academy to nurture the future generations of the game through elite training and competition. Furthermore, they’ve launched their own brick-and-mortar flagship store location sits in the heart of Shanghai.
Clearly, they’ve been devoted to building the brand in the right way, and tapping the talents of the legendary footwear designer is a critical move that can help them grow globally. There’s no better way to make that announcement than with product, and soon enough, the Aaron Cooper-designed EQLZ 247 will debut.
For the 247, Aaron intended to be a natural extension of the human foot. This design ethos was evident from his days as an intern at Nike, and he’s bringing that invaluable knowledge and experience that indie brands seldom get to take advantage of. The 247 is easily their most innovative shoe yet, with a PEBAX supercritical cushioning technology and ergonomic TPU lateral for containment. Outside is a top-grain leather with a knit upper, with a beautifully molded design that can draw comparisons to some of Aaron’s most notable work with Nike.
The good news is that the EQLZ 247 is coming soon; they’re set to release in the “Phantom Zombie” (white/black) on May 18th for $150 exclusively at their online store here. Just in time for the winter running season is the limited-edition Brooks Galaxy Collection.
