Image: @jv.shots
With the NBA season right around the corner, preseason has already started delivering some of the year’s more interesting sneaker previews.
Devin Booker added another one to the list with the first on-foot look at the Nike Book 2 “Mexican Blanket,” giving his second signature model a much warmer and more culturally rooted direction than most of the pairs we’ve seen so far.
A Nod to Arizona
The Nike Book 2 “Mexican Blanket” draws from the striped, multicolor patterns associated with traditional sarape blankets, using warm tones across the upper to create one of the more distinctive Book 2 colorways yet.
The concept also connects naturally to Booker’s long relationship with Arizona. After spending his entire NBA career in Phoenix, references to the state’s culture feel less like decoration and more like an extension of the environment surrounding his career.
With Arizona home to a large Mexican-American community, the sarape-inspired palette gives the pair a local connection that fits Booker’s growing habit of tying his signature shoes back to place and personal history.
Another Kobe Reference
There is also another layer to the design.
Nike has explored “Mexican Blanket” themes before, but one of the most memorable examples appeared on the lifestyle version of the Kobe 8, which featured similarly warm multicolor striping.
Given Booker’s well-documented admiration for Kobe Bryant, the connection feels difficult to ignore.
Rather than directly recreating the Kobe 8, the Book 2 takes that familiar visual language and translates it onto Devin’s own signature model, creating another subtle link between the two players’ sneaker stories.
Nike Book 2 “Mexican Blanket” Release Details
For now, Nike has not confirmed whether the “Mexican Blanket” Book 2 will eventually receive a public release or remain exclusive to Devin Booker.
Booker has worn several player-exclusive colorways before they later moved into retail, so there is still a possibility that this pair follows the same path.
Until then, the preseason debut gives us an early look at one of the more meaningful Book 2 colorways to surface so far.
