You asked for more sneaker stories from Steph, and we've got 'em! Exclusive stories about exclusive pairs, worn only during Steph's Sneaker Free Agency during the 2025-26 season.
Highlights 1:33 | Shocking with World with Sneaker Free Agency 1:58 | Getting DMs from friends about wearing their signature shoes 2:44 | Kobe Bryant Kobe 4 Protro 'CHBL' 3:23 | Vince Carter Nike Shox BB4 'Black Silver Lapis' 3:55 | Signing his first pair of Jordans 4:17 | Kevin Garnett Nike Air Garnett III 'Away' 4:30 | Stephen Curry Nike Hyperdunk 2010 "Christmas" PE 5:37 | Klay Thompson Anta KT 11 'Christmas Snowflake Blue' 6:18 | Jimmy Butler Li-Ning JB4 'Dark Knight' 6:52 | Anthony Edwards AE X 1 CLOT 'Blue Flame' 7:55 | Supporting the WNBA during contract negotiations 8:21 | Benefitting EAT.LEARN.PLAY.
“I’ve always believed that every pair of sneakers tells a story. This collection really captures a unique chapter for me during my sneaker free agency this season. From the tunnel walks to the on-court warm-ups to the games across the country, I was excited to spend this time shining a light on players over the years who have left their mark on the sneaker game. From the legendary NBA stars that I grew up admiring, to the current players that I’ve enjoyed competing against, along with some of the biggest names in the WNBA that are helping to drive the momentum across the women’s game, I had so much fun breaking out pairs all season long that each meant so much to me. When you look back at both sneaker culture and basketball history, each pair represents an iconic moment, groundbreaking athlete or key chapter over the years in the NBA and WNBA.
I’m excited to share this unique catalog in a way that lets fans be part of the journey. Partnering with Sotheby’s to bring this auction to life gives these sneakers a platform beyond the game, where they can live on and mean something to someone else.
What makes this even more special is the impact it can have off the court. Every dollar raised will support Eat. Learn. Play. — the foundation that I co-founded with Ayesha — where we focus on the everyday needs that shape a child’s future with access to food, literacy, and safe places to play and grow.
That’s always been the bigger purpose for me. There’s no better feeling than being able to celebrate the game and enjoy everything around it, while also opening doors and giving back. I hope these special pairs that were part of a key time in my sneaker journey can carry that same energy forward.”
-Stephen Curry
Benefitting Eat. Learn. Play. Founded in 2019 by Stephen Curry and Ayesha Curry, the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation supports children's well-being through access to nutritious meals, quality reading resources, and opportunities to play and remain active, grounded in the belief that every child deserves the chance to experience a happy, healthy childhood.
Adopting a comprehensive "whole child, whole school" approach, the Foundation provides the essential resources and support students need to thrive academically and reach their full potential. For the individual child, this has included access to nutritious food, high-dosage literacy tutoring, and organized sports programs. For the broader school community, the initiative has focused on transforming physical spaces to ensure equitable access to dignified and joyful environments in which to eat, learn, and play — notably through the revitalization of schoolyards, cafeterias, libraries, and gymnasiums throughout Oakland.
Each sneaker was personally worn by Stephen Curry and are being consigned directly from his collection. 100% of the hammer price will be remitted to the EAT. LEARN. PLAY. Foundation.
Stephen Curry discusses his unexpected journey as a \"sneaker free agent\" after his deal with Under Armour ended. He shares the joy of wearing various shoes on court to honor basketball legends, teammates, and female athletes, ultimately using this experience to auction the footwear to benefit the Eat, Learn, Play Foundation for children in Oakland.
So many amazing kicks.
I got to where, where to begin.
I'm Stephen Curry, point guard for the Golden State Warriors
and also the co-founder of the Eat, Learn, Play Foundation
out here in Oakland, California.
Sneaker free agency was a surprise.
It wasn't something I was going into the season
thinking about.
From one week to the next, it became clear
that this is the direction it was headed.
And once my Under Armour deal was done,
it was like, what do you do now?
I told not only myself, but my team,
I wanted to have as much fun as possible.
Hopefully it reinvigorates some energy
into the sneaker industry.
We had a conversation going into that San Antonio game
about which shoe would be kind of the right one
to break the seal on me not wearing an Under Armour shoe
or my own signature shoe on the court.
And we had a lot of ideas,
even to the point of me walking in barefoot into the game.
The fun part is when I put the shoes on,
I left the locker room,
there were so many people looking at me,
like, I was just confused.
What you got those on for?
That jumpstarted this whole free agency season.
Are you about to shock the world?
Break the internet, all those type of comments
from my coaches and teammates and all that.
And everybody had a smile on their face
because they knew how important it was.
I think I got reinvigorated by this process
just because it allowed me just to have fun
and be present on how blessed I am
to be able to play this game at the highest level
and the connection to basketball history.
Steph Curry tonight has on some Converse.
These are to honor the great Larry Burton.
I'm glad that Steph found
that he could have success in our shoes.
Shout out to Steph for wearing them T-Macs too.
Every night I get to shine a light
on something that either is important to me
and could hopefully bring that same kind of energy
to somebody else.
Being able to rock my teammate Jimmy Butler's shoes
in games or Tyrese Halliburton,
who had his first Puma shoe out.
I got to text him before the game,
like, yo, I'm gonna rock your shoes
and just getting that excitement
when I got to go on court with him
all the way to Sabrina, being able to wear her shoes.
Having her in the building for the first time
that I wore her shoes against Utah.
Candice Parker reaching out to me
after I got to wear her Adidas from back in the day.
I got on Instagram and I saw I was hype.
Guys that I've played against or looked up to
who I know personally and they reach out
and Dwayne Wade, get a text from him saying,
oh, that's such an amazing, such a dope moment.
All of those things just keep the excitement
and energy going because there's so many connections
and ways to honor not only areas of old,
but the current wave of signature athletes.
Where to begin?
So many amazing kicks that I got to wear.
You know, wearing the Mamacita Kobe's
is kind of a jumpstart to the entire free agency,
you know, season for me.
In San Antonio, getting to wear these during pregame.
Very, very special moment.
They kind of sent some shock waves
through the sneaker industry.
These are one of my favorites.
The Kobe four pro chose just cause this was
the very first Kobe that I got to wear
in a game in Portland.
They're kind of bittersweet for me too
because I have 48 wearing these, but we also lost.
So good memories and bad memories,
but memories none the less.
My childhood right here in a nutshell.
The Shox, which just a classic shoe that screamed,
you know, how amazing Vince was during those days.
When I was growing up, Vince Carter's Shox
was the shoe that I felt like when I put it on,
I could do anything.
It was like right during the insanity years.
My dad played against him and with him in Toronto.
And so me and my brother used to always Nike ID
our Shox back in the day.
And anytime we put them on, we just felt different.
So for me to have played against Vince in the league
and then full circle be able to, you know,
rock his shoes,
that was when I was looking forward to the most.
The first pair of Jordans I've ever signed in my life
right here, right now.
That is so cool and so weird all at the same time.
Being able to pay tribute to the icons that I grew up
either watching, emulating my game after,
or just being a fan of basketball.
Like you can't go wrong with any Jordan, to be honest.
Another cool one was Kevin Garnett wearing his Nike shoes.
I think it was a threes.
When I was 11 years old,
I was wearing the Kevin Garnett's playing one-on-one
against Muggsy Bogues in Toronto
while Vince Carter was watching.
Put all that together.
So these were a special pair that I knew about
but didn't know where they were for the last decade.
These 2010 Hyperdunks that I wore
in my first ever Christmas day game
against the Portland Trailblazers,
my second year in the league.
Our incredible equipment manager
slash director of everything at the Warriors,
Mr. Eric Howsen.
As soon as I started talking about, you know,
shoe free agency and different moments,
he pulled me aside at the facility and he said,
I think I have some old pairs of your PEs.
And I was like, oh, for real?
I didn't even know you kept some.
And he's like, yeah.
The next day I came into the facility
in front of my locker with these beautiful shoes.
I was really cool to see literally the original pair
from 2010 with all the old technology.
Obviously you got the Christmas inspired colorways
and the original Nike SC30 logo
for those four years that I was with them.
So these are the only pair
that were the original pair that I wore
and brought back to wear again 15 years later.
So the only ones you can get that check both boxes.
So these right here are special for a lot of reasons.
Klay Thompson, my splash brother,
who I got to wear his latest signature,
the anti-Klay Thompson 11s
and wear them against the Dallas Mavericks
on Christmas day this year.
And play against Klay.
So to know like our history
and it's all the memories that we were able to create
as teammates and the championships that we won
for me to be able to rock those
with Klay back in the building, you know,
it means the world.
So Christmas day, 2025 kicks right here.
This is the Batman's.
Jimmy never goes a day without calling me Batman.
These are the very first shoes that I wore
that was not an Under Armour or a Curry brand shoe.
And in game, pretty dope colorway right there.
Even my own teammates,
nobody knew I was actually gonna wear another shoe
other than mine until literally right
when we went to the starting lineups
and we were in the circle
and then somebody pointed down,
I was like, oh, look it.
And then Jimmy looked down and he lost his mind
cause he didn't even know.
Cause like everybody's kind of in their own mode
getting ready for the game.
And I'll remember that moment for the rest of my life
just cause it was kind of from a teammate
to teammate perspective and being able to show love.
The fact that I made it all the way to the tip off
and he had no clue I was rocking the shoes.
So those types of moments are always fun
cause you created a memory out of nothing.
When I rocked Ant's shoe, he wasn't playing that game.
But when he came out, I had texted him earlier
and sent him a picture of the shoes like,
yo, I'm gonna rock these tonight.
So I wore the one pregame and then I put his twos on.
And funny story, the ones that I wore
was I always shoot this full court tunnel shot
whenever we flip sides in the arena and pregame.
And I have made it once before,
but that particular game, it was my time to shoot it again.
And, you know, slung it from however far it is.
Washington went in and I started sprinting down the tunnel.
So I knew it was gonna be a good night
and Ant coming out on the court.
From the first time, you know,
he saw me sitting on the sidelines.
We were talking back and forth, talking trash.
I told him I was gonna bust him in his own shoes.
And he's like, I only got powers in these shoes,
nobody else.
So every time I made a shot, I looked at him.
And then we lost the game,
but we almost had a crazy comeback.
And I hit like three threes, I think, in the fourth quarter.
And every time I kept looking at him.
So those moments, especially the competitiveness,
but the respect is there at the same time.
Wearing Sabrina's shoe, Asia's shoe, Candice's shoe.
I got to show so much love to each one of those athletes
and them going through their CBA negotiations.
But basketball is basketball.
You know, we're all trying to achieve
the highest levels of the game.
If you happen to be blessed with a signature in line,
being able to showcase parts of you and your story.
Special moments for sure,
knowing the women's game is in such a great place right now.
I just think this collection screams something so unique
and a part of history in the respect that
I don't think anybody had on their bingo card
me being a sneaker free agent at this stage in my career.
But I also know that because this opportunity happened,
the fact that I got to shine a light on
the capsule that's behind me
and what's available through this auction.
It is just a special time and place
that you can participate in and be a part of
in a way that is also going to cause an admission
that means the world to me,
but also something that the work that we're doing in Oakland
and the way that we're servicing kids
and providing resources for their future
is what sports and basketball has, you know,
allowed me to do my entire career.
Love for this to look like my collection at the crib,
but the idea that, you know, with all these amazing shoes
and the fact that I was able to wear them
on court in the tunnel and create this story
for an auction to be, you know, the ending
and for this free agency, you know, season
to turn into true impact and sustainable resources
for kids in Oakland that desperately need it.
To me, that's a win-win for everybody.
I'm excited to know that this energy
that I got from this process will hopefully turn
into a story that will change lives.
Like at the end of the day, that's the mission
and the platform that I've been blessed with.
This is another opportunity to do just that.
