Dwyane Wade has always had a keen eye for fashion, but even the most stylish athletes can’t make every sneaker work. Back in 2009, at a charity event, Wade laced up a pair of Jordan Fusion 4s, a bold mash-up of the Air Jordan 4 and the Air Force 1. At that time, the Jordan Brand was deep into its Fusion era. Busy blending iconic silhouettes with mixed results, and the Fusion 4 was one of the more… controversial creations. Wade, being the trendsetter, tried to make them work. But even his effortless style couldn’t save the shoe from looking like a disaster.
It wasn’t for lack of effort, Wade had the swagger, the moment, and the cause behind him. But some sneakers just don’t translate, no matter who’s donning them. The Fusion 4 never really found its footing in sneaker culture, and Wade’s attempt at giving them a moment only highlighted why they quickly faded into obscurity. Some kicks are just better left in the vault.
In a post by @nicekicksvault on Instagram, the picture of Dwyane Wade rocking those sneakers emerged. The picture showed Dwyane Wade mid-dribble in the Jordan Fusion IV’s. The caption of the post was apt, “Dwyane Wade wearing the Air Jordan Fusion IV at a charity event in 2009. Is anyone wearing Fusions in 2025?!” asking the genuine question if anybody is still wearing those in 2025. I think not.
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The fans went on a nostalgia trip upon viewing the post. And who could blame them? The polarizing design had fans in splits, with the House of Heat calling it the 10th most ugly basketball sneaker ever made. That’s quite a statement. Let us see what the fans had to say.
How the fans reacted to Dwyane Wade wearing the Jordan Fusion
Upon seeing the post, the fans, expectedly, went rampant on social media. And they were definitely in the mood for some trolling upon seeing the fashion-forward Dwyane Wade making a blunder. A fan commented, “Never understood the assignment on fusions,” sharing the collective consensus the crowd holds over the hideous design of the hyped sneaker. Another fan commented, “Fusions are a time in history that would collectively like to forget lol,” sharing the sentiment that the erasure of this sneaker would do everybody good.
A livid sneakerhead commented on Instagram, “Fusions were and forever will be ,” comparing the sneaker to garbage, and stating that the sneaker was eternally so. Another Instagram user commented, “Hated them back then and hate them now lol.’ This fan doubled down on their dislike for the Jordan Fusion 4s. I mean, you can’t really save a disaster design even if they were relaunched.
A fan mirrored the sentiment of the House of Heat and commented, “Some of the ugliest joints ever created.” What do you think? Another fan dropped probably one of the hardest quotes, “‘MJ didn’t wear em, neither should you’ wildest thing I used to see back then lol,” sharing a quote someone told them back in the day. Sad to say, it still holds up.
The flipside of polarizing designs is that you win some, and you lose some. That is what happened with the Jordan Fusions. As for Dwyane Wade, this was just a blip in the ever so glorious fashion sense he possesses. But with the internet’s memory, it will always exist! Let’s hope no more fashion blunders occur from Wade!
The post Trolls Pile On $7 Billion Brand As Dwyane Wade’s ‘Ugliest’ Charity Shoe Sparks Nostalgic Fan Backlash appeared first on EssentiallySports.