I Finally Got Myself a Pair of Shai 001s
Shai 001 Echo in Camo Colour
I am huge basketball guy. And right now is a genuinely great time to be a Canadian basketball fan.
The NBA is well represented by Canadians — and leading that charge is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, better known as SGA, the reigning MVP and a strong candidate to repeat this season. SGA hails from Hamilton, Ontario — just outside the Greater Toronto Area. As I wrote in my Basketball Is Life post, basketball in Canada has never been bigger, and SGA is a huge part of why.
When SGA and the Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA Championship last season, one thing stood out beyond the basketball: throughout the entire playoff run, SGA was regularly spotted wearing an unreleased Converse signature sneaker — the Shai 001. Different colourways at different stages of the run. And when the Thunder clinched Game 7 of the Finals, he was showing off a gold pair.
When OKC won the championship, they gave away Shai 001s to their fans.
That's a statement.
SGA winning the NBA championship and showing off Gold Shai 001
The Hunt Begins
One of my closest friends and I had been tracking the Shai 001 throughout the playoffs — texting back and forth about the colourways, talking about how much we wanted to get our hands on a pair. I had my eye on the Brown Clay colourway specifically.
Then Converse launched them. And they sold out in seconds. Literally seconds.
Converse did individual colour drops one at a time, and each one disappeared instantly. This kept happening through the new 2025–26 season — and with SGA continuing to dominate, demand never slowed down. If anything it grew.
It's worth noting that SGA isn't just known for his basketball. He's widely considered one of the most stylish players in the league. His tunnel walks are essentially fashion shows, and some of his fits have generated their own commentary — including a genuinely hilarious Shaqtin' a Fool segment from Inside the NBA that I'll let you find for yourself 😂
Eventually Foot Locker started carrying them too. Same result — sold out immediately. I watched a white pair in my size 9.5 become available, and I was tempted, but it wasn't the Brown Clay. I held out.
The Camo Drop That Changed Everything
A few weeks ago, a new colourway launched — the Shai 001 Echo. Camo.
I stopped scrolling.
I have camo shirts. I have camo pants. I have never owned camo shoes. Honestly it had never even occurred to me until I saw this pair. But something about the Shai 001's unique silhouette and zipper detail in that camo colourway just hit differently.
My friend caught wind of the drop at the same time. We both agreed — we needed to get this pair.
When launch day came, I completely forgot about it.
Later that day, my friend messaged asking for my shoe size. I didn't read his message carefully enough to understand why — I just answered him and moved on. Then a bit later I found myself on Foot Locker, saw the Echo available in my size, and bought it immediately.
When I went back to the conversation with my friend, I realized he had also bought my size 😂 plus his.
I had to ask him to return my pair to the store. Sorry, man.
Shai 001 Echo in Camo colour
The Verdict
The Shai 001 Echo arrived at my door and honestly exceeded expectations. The Shai 001 already has one of the most distinctive silhouettes in basketball sneakers right now — that shape and the zipper detail set it apart immediately. In the camo Echo colourway, it goes to another level entirely.
My friend and I have plans to meet up in May, and I told him we should both show up wearing them. But now that they're in my hands — I'm genuinely considering keeping them unworn. Alongside my LeBron Space Jam pair, these might end up as collectibles rather than wearers.
Some sneakers are just too good to put on the ground.
