Jesus Shuttlesworth’s Nike Air Foamposite Pro ‘Pearl’ From ‘He Got Game’ Will Return in 2025
A beloved sneaker from Spike Lee‘s “He Got Game” will return to stores next year after a 10-year hiatus.
The Nike Air Foamposite Pro “Pearl” will release during the holiday 2025 season, according to reputed sneaker leaker zSneakerHeadz. Jesus Shuttlesworth, the character played by Ray Allen, wore the shoes in Lee’s 1998 film a year after the sneaker made its debut. Pictures for next year’s Air Foamposite Pro “Pearl” have yet to surface, and the images in this article are from the 1997 original.
Nike has since brought back the “Pearls” a number of times in 2002, 2009, 2010 and 2015 before slowing down the cycle. 2009’s House of House-exclusive drop was heralded, but the wider release a year later was criticized for the shoe’s coloring being off. The 2015 release nodded to “He Got Game” by pairing it with another sneaker from the film, the Zoom Hawk Flight, for the “Class of ’97” pack.
Nike debuted its Foamposite tech in 1997 through both the Air Foamposite One and Air Foamposite Pro. While the former was a signature sneaker for Penny Hardaway, the latter did without his marks and instead featured a giant Swoosh on the sides. The Pro can also be differentiated by a different outsole pattern.
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Eight more Nike Foamposite models were made for basketball by 2003 using the compression and head molding process, while the Jordan Jumpman Team Masterpiece made partial use of the tech in 2000. The era also saw much-maligned applications of Foamposite in tennis and lifestyle with the Courtposite and Clogposite, although both sneakers have been revived recently to more acclaim. Three Nike LeBron sneakers have also featured Foamposite, as has one of Carmelo Anthony’s and the Foamposite Lite made famous for its “Kryptonite” colorway worn by Nate Robinson.
The Nike Air Foamposite Pro Foam will release during the holiday 2025 season through the Snkrs app and select third-party retailers. Pricing is set at $230.
About the Author:
Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
