Karl Malone on why he wore some of the NBA's rarest sneakers instead of mainstream brands: "I don't like wearing the same shoe as everyone else"

Like his Utah Jazz teammate John Stockton, Karl Malone wore Converse shoes early in his NBA career. Stockton later signed with Avia, then ultimately ended with Nike. Meanwhile, Malone went to L.A. Gear for a while before wearing the upstart brand Apex.

When asked about his shoe choice, “The Mailman” said he wanted to stand out from the crowd by looking different from everybody else. Since almost everyone at that time had the Swoosh, Three Stripes, Vector, or Chevron Star on their shoes, Karl went with the shoe that simply had APEX printed on it.

“I’ve never been a guy that wants to follow everybody else,” said Malone. “I want to be different. I don’t like wearing the same shoe as everybody else.”

Reviving a bankrupt brand

APEX was founded in 1988 as Apex One by former Adidas executives Joseph Kirchner and Michael Lewis. Its primary business line was apparel, and in the early 1990s, it became one of the top licensed apparel manufacturers for the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and NCAA.

However, it faced financial issues after the licensed sportswear bubble burst in the mid-90s. Converse acquired it and shut it down after transferring its license agreements to the parent company.

Businessman Michael Rubin, who later founded Fanatics, acquired the bankrupt brand in 1996 and merged it with women’s shoemaker Ryka in 1997 to form Global Sports Inc. Commerce (GSI Commerce). Rubin decided to enter the NBA shoe wars and signed Malone, one of the best players in the league at the time, as its top shoe endorser.

With his desire to wear a different shoe and with Rubin giving him a board seat at the company, Malone agreed to wear the Apex One Voltage shoes during the 1996-97 season. Malone won MVP honors that year, making Rubin look like a genius.

“It was the shoes,” said Rubin. “Certainly, Karl winning the MVP award was great for our image. We’ve enjoyed a great ride with him.”

Malone’s signature shoe never hit the market

APEX gave Karl his signature shoe the following year, the APEX Mailman. Malone was involved in all aspects of the shoe’s development, including the colorways. For some reason, however, the APEX Mailman never made it to retail stores. But since Karl wore them in the NBA, they became one of the rarest shoes of all time.

“It’s not a big deal to me if they’re in the stores or not. They feel good to me, they have the look that I want, and that’s what’s important,” said Malone.

In the early 2000s, urban apparel maker Damani Dada created stylish Dada Supreme shoes that entered the NBA market and were endorsed by players like Chris Webber and Latrell Sprewell. Bucking the trend of wearing unique brands, Malone wore Dada shoes when he played for the Los Angeles Lakers in what turned out to be his final year in the league.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 31, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Karl Malone on why he wore some of the NBA’s rarest sneakers instead of mainstream brands: “I don’t like wearing the same shoe as everyone else”

Tags: