Orlando Magic legend and Memphis Tigers Head Coach Penny Hardaway had one of the most unique Nike basketball shoe lines long before a new signature sneaker dropped every other week. To this day, sneakerheads still obsess over the Air Penny line and they’ll have a chance to grab an original colorway for the first time since 2015. Check out our Sneakers news for more upcoming releases and breaking content!
Penny Hardaway turned down a massive $7,000,000 contract from Converse to sign with Nike in 1993. Once he was traded to the Orlando Magic, Nike launched the marketing campaign behind the Nike Air Penny line. Featuring the famous “Lil Penny” toy that served as Hardaway’s inner monologue, the Air Max Penny 1 was an instant hit. By 1996, Nike had released the Air Penny 2 as a follow-up.
Hardaway wore the kicks for the majority of the 1996 season and during the NBA Playoffs, where he averaged 23 points and six assists per game. They were retroed once in 2015, but will be returning in their OG colorway for the first time since.
OFFICIAL IMAGES: Nike Air Penny 2 OG “Atlantic Blue”
Release Date: November 25th, 2023 (tentative) pic.twitter.com/culRFYYRUn— Sneaker News (@SneakerNews) August 6, 2023
Official Look at the Nike Air Penny 2 OG “Atlantic Blue” https://t.co/iYr6Ejavkk pic.twitter.com/eT2uIISDlt
— JustFreshKicks (@JustFreshKicks) August 7, 2023
The classic Nike Air Penny 2 features a wavy white upper supported by Nike Air Max technology. The uppers are draped in that Orlando Magic blue as Hardaway’s “Cent” logo is featured on the back heel and tongue. While many different iterations of this shoe have released over the years, this is one of the few times an original colorway from Penny Hardaway’s playing days is releasing. The official style code reads Atlantic Blue/White-Black-Metallic Silver. Head over to SneakerNews for some more detailed images.
While no date is set in stone just yet, these are set for a very tentative release date of November 25, 2023, or somewhere around the Thanksgiving holiday. They will retail for $200 USD and will be available on Nike.com in full men’s sizing. These are sure to sell out quick, so make sure to mark your calendars when an official release date is revealed.
