words // Brandon Richard
Last summer, Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Kevin Love made a sneaker brand jump from China's PEAK to the also-China-based 361 Degrees. Despite the signing, Love has spent majority of the 2011-2012 season lacing up the Nike Hyperfuse 2011, causing a little confusion over the terms of his China deal. Things became a little more interesting during All-Star Weekend when he wore 361 Player Exclusives for the All-Star Game and his victory in the 3-Point Contest. However, Kevin is back to playing in the Hyperfuse for the second half of the season, prompting speculation that he may have an agreement with 361 similar to Steve Nash's China-only deal with Luyou.
While we're still trying to figure out the status of Love's deal with 361, here's a detailed look at the shoes they made for him to wear in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game. The shoe sports a bright red leather upper with a perforated toebox and black mesh vents along the sidewalls for ventilation. The lower half of the tongue, laces and textile lining are also done in black, while Love's logo on the tongue and details on the heel appear in white. The lateral panels read "2012 All-Star" and feature the 361 Degrees logo. A red midsole, black carbon fiber plate and solid rubber outsole finish off the look below.
At the moment, we're not too sure what the availability on these looks like, though some 361 Kevin Love models are currently being sold in China.
images via Ye-Wa
