5 best Dwight Howard basketball shoes

Dwight David Howard is an American NBA player who is currently playing for the Charlotte Hornets. Howard's claim to fame started when he became the first overall pick by the Orlando Magic in the 2004 NBA Draft. Howard was just fresh out of high school back then.

During his early years with the Magic, Howard bulked up and worked on his skills as the team's defensive center. His efforts were not in vain as he scored impressive points, ultimately ranking second in the NBA in terms of the number of rebounds per game, overall number of offensive rebounds, and double-doubles. His athleticism and skills earned him a starter’s spot in the Eastern Conference All-Star team in six out of the eight All-Star games that he appeared in.

One of his most memorable moments was when he won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest back in 2008. Howard dressed as the Man of Steel and won the title with a series of dunks and cheers from the crowd. Dwight Howard became a household name from then on.

After eight years with the Orlando Magic and a few rumors surrounding his free agency, Howard signs a contract extension, citing "loyalty" as the main reason for it. Unfortunately, before the 2011-2012 season ended, Howard injured his back and missed the rest of the season. Subsequently, Dwight Howard never played for the Orlando Magic again after recovering from his herniated disk surgery.

From 2012 to the present, Howard went through a series of team trades, starting with the trade to Los Angeles Lakers and then to the Houston Rockets, then to the Atlanta Hawks, and later on to the Charlotte Hornets.

All in all, Dwight Howard is heavily awarded, usually in terms of defensive plays such as rebounding and blocking. He is a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a five-time NBA rebounding leader. He has also been to named to the All-Star roster from 2007 to 2014, six times as a team starter.  Back in high school, he was awarded the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award.

Dwight Howard Basketball Shoes and the Techs that Make Them Great

In the current span of his basketball career, Dwight Howard has been involved with two footwear companies, namely Adidas and Peak. Howard has been wearing Adidas ever since his pre-NBA days when he played with the Amateur Athletic Union. After his contract expired in 2015, Howard then signed with Chinese footwear company Peak.

Adidas

The NBA player continued to wear the Three Stripes after earning a contract with them in his first professional year with the Orlando Magic. His early Adidas basketball shoes include the Adidas a3 Superstar Ultra II, Adidas a3 Forum, Adidas a3 SS Structure, Adidas a3 SS Power II, Adidas Lyte Speed GCS, Adidas Pro Model S, and Adidas Bounce Artillery II.

Later on, in 2007, Adidas started a campaign that advocated for different individuals to work as a team and play the sport using their complementary skills. This was launched as the  “Basketball is Brotherhood” campaign. This movement featured NBA players Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan, Tracy McGrady, Gilbert Arenas, Kevin Garnett, and Chauncey Billups.

The Adidas Team Signature (TS) basketball shoe line was debuted as part of this campaign,  and a series of TS shoes were released, of which each Brotherhood NBA star had a unique version.

• Adidas TS Lightspeed. The TS Lightspeed was the first iteration of the TS models. Each NBA player that headed the “Brotherhood” has his own version of the shoe. Dwight Howard’s version has a combination of synthetic tumbled leather and weaved leather in the upper. An adiPRENE+ foam is featured at the forefoot, assisting the player during take-off and allowing a more efficient use of foot energy. A full-length lightweight EVA midsole then surrounds the bouncy foam to give the shoe a comfortable yet stable base. The D Howard basketball shoes included a lateral guardrail at the forefoot to keep the foot from rolling over the midsole when making hard cuts.

• Adidas TS Pro. Released in 2008, the TS Pro was worn by Dwight Howard during the Slam Dunk Contest where he took on his Superman persona and dunked from the court's free throw line. This show of athleticism cemented Howard's NBA Superstar status. The team model shoe features quilted detailing on the shoe's padded ankle collar. The signature Three Stripes on the sides are embossed. The side patent leather panels are printed with subtle graphics. AdiPRENE+ is used at the forefoot for maximum energy return and AdiPRENE at the heel for shock absorption. The Dwight Howard Basketball shoes have a Torsion System that limits the foot's improper twisting and an adiWEAR rubber outsole that adds durability.

• Adidas TS Commander. In 2009, the TS Commander and TS Creator were released. The Adidas TS Creator is for the quicker guards like T-Mac while The Commander is for heavier players like D Howard. These mid-top Dwight Howard sneakers use a combination of synthetic leather and ballistic mesh for the upper. The top ankle strap fastens the foot in place and adds support. The shoe's sockliner can be replaced with something that compliments the shoe owner's foot shape better. The midsole, on the other hand, utilizes a compression molded EVA foam to provide a lightweight and comfortable cushioning. The first colorway featured the Orlando Magic uniform colors, with the blue, black, and white. The simple herringbone pattern works as great as the multidirectional lines that outline the outsole.

  The TS Bounce Commander, another rendering of the TS Commander, was the shoe that Howard wore when he was awarded as the youngest basketball player to be named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year. The NBA star was helped the Orlando Magic become the third seed in the 2009 NBA Playoffs.

• Adidas Supernatural Commander. Designed by Robbie Fuller with some inspiration from the Feet You Wear concept, the Adidas Supernatural Commander features a different form. The outsole is divided into three podular sections. The shape is based on the anatomical form of the foot. The divided sections offer stability and enhance the foot's natural movement. These Dwight Howard Adidas sneakers sport a massive ankle collar that hug the foot from the Achilles. To provide better foot containment, the three diagonal stripes on the midfoot double as straps. Depending on the colorway, a combination of patent leather, perforated mesh, or synthetic nubuck leather is used on the upper. The most eye-catching one is the “Magic Beast” colorway, which features the Superman colors blue, red, yellow, and black.

• Adidas Beast Commander. Released in 2010, the Adidas Beast Commander is Dwight Howard's first official signature sneaker that’s not a team model. These D Howard basketball shoes are built to endure a heavy beating from bigger players and provide a stable base for centers during rebounds. The shoe's upper is outfitted with mesh and patent leather. Similar to the previous team model sneaker, the ankle collar is slightly decoupled from the main body. Like the Feet You Wear technology, PureMotion also gives the midsole a podular shape that mimics the form of the foot.

  Howard is known to have a light-hearted personality, and the shoe is peppered with references to his sense of humor. A tiny "Hey Woooooooooooooooooorld!" can be found on the rear lateral side, while a "ManChild" graphic is printed on the tongue.

• Adidas SuperBeast. Considered as one of Dwight Howard’s top performing shoes and a must-have for centers, the Adidas SuperBeast deviates from the bulky look and assumes a sleeker and cleaner silhouette. Its upper features the SprintSkin technology, a lightweight and abrasion-resistant material that protects and conforms to the foot’s shape. Instead of PureMotion, the midsole uses Alive cushioning. The EVA-based midsole hits the sweet spot between having great court feel and superior impact protection. Lastly, these Dwight Howard shoes feature a Z-shaped Twist Torsion System.

• Adidas AdiPower Howard 1. After dropping the “Beast” name due to some legal dispute, Adidas started the AdiPower line in 2011. It continued until Howard’s departure from Adidas in 2016. The AdiPower Howard 1 uses a similar setup as the SuperBeast but fixed the previous model’s flaws especially its upper.

• Adidas AdiPower Howard 2. The signature Three Stripes on the Howard 2 are made of TPU and are integrated into the shoe’s lockdown system. The outsole and SprintSkin upper sports a shattered glass pattern to signify Dwight Howard’s hand in breaking backboards. As for the midsole, Alive cushioning is used and a new Torsion system is utilized instead of the Z-Twist Torsion System used on the previous model. These Dwight Howard Basketball shoes were released at the time when the NBA Star was facing a career crossroad after leaving the Orlando Magic, his team for eight years, to join the Los Angeles Lakers.

• Adidas AdiPower Howard 3. Instead of having SprintSkin for the upper, the third AdiPower D Howard shoes go old school materials-wise and are outfitted with nubuck and leather. The basketball shoe retains the Alive cushioning midsole and the shattered glass outsole. The shoe is miCoach enabled.

• Adidas AdiPower Howard 4. 2013 for Howard was the year he moved from his short stint with Los Angeles Lakers to the Houston Rockets. In the same year, Adidas released the D Howard 4.  The shoe is characterized by parallel lines and curves on the upper. Aesthetically, these Dwight Howard Adidas sneakers look like toned-down versions of Shaq's Reebok Shaqnosis. Howard has been known to compare himself with the original NBA Superman's style of play. The shoe’s tongue and the Adidas stripes on the shoe’s side panels are made of a reflective 3M material. The upper features a combination of breathable SprintWeb and synthetic leather. The shoe is heavily padded internally with the TechFit technology, ensuring comfort.

• Adidas D Howard 5. The D Howard 5 originally released in three colorways. The first was a USA-inspired colorway that combined the colors red, blue, and white; the second featured the Houston Rocket colors; and the third was a BRED colorway that is predominantly black and red. The D Howard 5 features a dunking Superman logo on the right shoe's tongue as a nod to Dwight's Slam Dunk back in 2008 against Nate Robinson. The texture or graphic on the side panels of the shoe varies depending on the colorway. Instead of the regular EVA midsole, the cushioning is upgraded to AdiPrene. The outsole, however, still uses the traditional mutidirectional herringbone pattern that effectively provides the shock resistance and stopping power that heavy players like Dwight Howard need.

• Adidas D Howard 6. By 2015, Dwight Howard’s relationship with Adidas was already on rocky grounds. Even so, the man of steel still managed to get his last shoe from the Three Stripes before moving on to Peak. The last Dwight Howard Adidas sneakers still has the same bulky silhouette that is made to endure the NBA star’s brute force and movements while at the same time protecting him from impact. Most of the upper is made of synthetic leather. Peppered with perforations, the shoe strives to be breathable while delivering reliable support for the big man.

After a decade with Adidas, Dwight Howard in September 2015 transfers to Peak, which is a Chinese sportswear company that specializes in performance shoes. San Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker is another NBA star who is also signed with the brand. Listed below are Howard’s signature basketball shoes under the Quanzhou-based company:

• Peak DH1. In his second year as a Houston Rockets center in 2015, Dwight Howard debuted his first shoe under Peak called the DH1 "Phoenix." The D Howard basketball shoe’s silhouette comes from a design competition in which the NBA Star and his fans vote for the winning shoe design. Now more visually appealing, the shoe speaks of Howard's rise from the ashes of the Los Angeles Lakers mishap to his rebirth with the Houston Rockets. The shoe utilizes top technology such as the Peak Surface, which is a combination of fabric, mesh, and fuse that is comparable to the material used on the 2010 Nike Hyperfuse. Peak's Cushion-3 is featured on the midsole, and it provides a comfortably plush ride and impact protection for heavy players like Howard.

• Peak DH2. Although considered as mid-top basketball shoes, the Peak DH2 sneakers fit like lows due to the soft and padded materials used on their ankle collars. This construction allows for more movement and agility. Additionally, the Peak DH2's upper retains the Peak Surface, but it is now combined with patent leather and neoprene and covers the full length of the shoe. This is Peak’s response to the DH1 wearers' request to have more of the material on the upper, and it effectively solves the previous model's problem with an ill-fitting upper. Moving on, the midsole also retains Cushion-3. In this setup, an impact absorbing air chamber is housed in the heel, and it can be seen through the clear window in the outsole. On top of the chamber is a foam insert that assists in dispersing impact energy. Surrounding the interior foam is a thicker and harder foam that provides stability and support.

• Peak DH3. While the third generation of Peak Dwight Howard sneakers is dubbed as the first 3D-printed basketball shoes, a DH3 with a regular midsole was also released to the public. The 3D midsole structure greatly reduces the shoe's weight and made the shoe a bit more flexible. The regular version of the DH3 utilizes Peak's P-Motive technology, wherein a high rebounding foam compound is in the midsole. This gives responsiveness and impact protection to players who stay most of the time within the paint. The days of patent leather and cheap-ish mesh are hopefully over as the DH3 features a full-length knit upper that feels as comfortable as a sock and fits as tightly as a glove.

Fun Facts:

Why is Dwight Howard called Superman?

The big man Shaquille O’Neal is known to be the player who originally had the Superman moniker due to his athletic abilities and delicate skills in ball handling. Dwight Howard got it because his style is usually compared to Shaq’s style of play. What set this nickname in stone was when Howard won the Slam Dunk Competition in 2008 wearing a Superman cape.

Does Howard have any wife or kids?

This is an interesting question to answer because Dwight Howard has never been married. However, it is a known fact that he fathers five children with five different mothers.

Author

Dimitrije Curcic

Dimitrije Curcic has been playing basketball for over 22 years. Like Manu Ginobili, he’s a left-hander whose moves led him to a better career-shooting percentage than the Argentine himself. After playing professionally for 10 years, Dimitrije moved to coaching for two seasons before he became a basketball statistician for StatScore, and FanSided contributor for the San Antonio Spurs. Dimitrije loves to tell hoop stories through numbers and graphics and has been featured on Fansided, FiveThirtyEight, Eurohoops, and TalkBasket among the others.

dimitrije@runrepeat.com