Dwyane Wade is Building His Body, Brand, & Global Sneaker Empire

Dwyane Wade discusses the connection between wellness and success in his life.

Dwyane Wade continues to build his body, businesses, and sneaker empire. / Thorne

At 43 years old, Miami Heat legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade still looks like he could put up a triple-double in an NBA Finals game. That is no mistake.

Like many celebrities, professional athletes, and medical experts, Wade swears by Thorne supplements. Wade uses Thorne as part of his daily health and wellness routine.

Thorne is a leading science-based wellness company best known for the cleanest and most effective supplements on the market, plus at-home health tests for stress, gut health, weight management, and more.

Wade has always taken his health seriously, and Thorne is helping him maintain peak physical fitness as he balances family and business in his post-playing career.

Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI recently spoke with Wade about Thorne, his wellness routine, and his legendary sneaker history.

Dwyane Wade's day starts with a workout and Thorne supplement routine. / Thorne

What made you decide to partner with Thorne over other brands in the supplement market?

When you're looking for something to make you 1% better, you go with what you feel is the top. I asked a lot of questions of different people and did a lot of research, and Thorne has the highest quality.

Their standards were as high as my standards. If you are putting your name, voice, and brand behind something, you want to make sure it levels up.

So it was actually pretty easy for me when it came to the business relationship with Thorne and understanding all the care that goes into their products.

Have you noticed a difference in your workouts or daily activities?

Yeah, man. I think a lot of it for us is mental. So, this Thorne relationship gets me to actually use the products daily. Without it, I might just use the products here and there.

I've been more focused on my health journey since my kidney surgery in 2023. So, it allowed me to sit with Thorne and say, 'How do I maximize myself? And, what are the things that I need?'

So, talking with the professionals and the doctors about customizing my own packages and getting the things that I feel like I need daily.

I'm 43 years old, and if I'm blessed to live another 43 years, this is what I will be talking about. I will be talking about my health journey and all the things that are provided for us and that I use to be able to help me get 1% better daily.

Dwyane Wade had a street named after him in October 2024. / Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

How do you manage your workouts with a busy schedule of broadcasting and business meetings? I've seen the Instagram pictures; you look phenomenal.

Workouts is the first thing I do. I'm a guy who wakes up between 5:00-6:00 every morning. As soon as I get out of bed, I'm working out. That's for me mentally and physically. I'm a person who loves to be able to fit into clothes and also take my shirt off.

But ultimately, you got to find your own time. When you have a busy life, you have a wife, you have kids, you have careers, and all those things. If you don't get up early and find time for yourself in my life, it won't find you.

So, before I get to my day, I have already worked out. I've already been in the sauna. I have already done my entire Thorne lineup that I take daily. It's not going to not happen. So, you got to make the time.

Do you have any fitness advice for men in their 40s trying to stay in shape?

I think the first thing is to get up and do it. Don't wait for your schedule to open up so you can train. This is daily. You're not going to fill it in one day or one week. I'm looking at the next 40 years of my life.

So, this is something that I can implement as much as I can, four to five days a week, and make this an everyday thing for me. It's hard for people when they're traveling to stay on a certain kind of regimen.

But when you're home, when you're in your comfort zone, you have to find time to kind of create a routine. That's why these trophies are behind me because I learned how to create a routine as an athlete. It's the same thing away from the game of basketball. Create this routine and stick to it.

Switching gears to footwear, how gratifying is it to see Way of Wade grow into a sneaker empire?

To be 43 years old and not to be Michael Jordan, not to be LeBron James, not to be Kobe Bryant, but still have a brand that's been around for a very long time. I have my own niche. It's been really cool for me. It's been really humbling to keep existing in this space.

I love it. I love what we've been able to create, and I love that we're still here and trying to find new and creative ways to stay here.

Dwyane Wade holds his 11th Way of Wade signature sneaker. / KICKS CREW

You are being far too humble. How involved are you with the signing of players and the strategic direction of WoW? D'Angelo Russell just launched his first signature sneaker.

Yeah, D-Lo is on year six with the brand. I had other athletes who were friends of mine who came along and joined my brand. But once I got done playing the game, D'Angelo was the first athlete that was planned that I signed, that I was a part of the negotiations, I was a part of saying, 'This is the guy I want.'

Now, after five years of that relationship going into year six, he's coming out with his own line. It's so amazing to me. To see D-Lo go on tour to China, drop his signature sneakers, and have his own lane is just really cool.

When I started this 13 years ago, everybody was like, 'What the hell are you doing?' And now, I have an NBA player who is happy and excited about this journey he's going on.

Also, we're looking for the next wave. We're talking as a team about who we want to sign in 2025 and 2026. Who is going to be the next D-Lo? So it's really exciting.

In 2003, LeBron James went to Nike, Carmelo Anthony to Jordan, and you to Converse. How did you feel about that strategy from NIKE Inc.?

I actually thought at the time it was perfect. Because we all were in the same family, the same umbrella. We all had our own different brands. Melo being the first young guy that signed with Jordan at the time.

I know they had other athletes before him, but coming out of college, signing with Jordan, getting his own signature shoe. LeBron, obviously creating everything that he created at Nike. And then me, coming in is like a part of my story.

Converse was getting back into basketball and they was looking for a face, Nike had just bought them. And then, boom, here I am. And I actually became a player probably sooner than people thought would become pretty good in the NBA.

So that even skyrocketed, probably quicker than they even thought. So, I thought it was perfect at that time that we all had our own brands.

Dwyane Wade during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

What was behind the idea of switching from Converse to Jordan Brand in 2009?

Well, Converse was kind of shifting. When I first came out with my signature shoes, Converse was hot, we were moving, we were selling. Then, Converse started rebranding a little bit. It was a lot of a lot of stuff going on inside, and I was obviously one of the top athletes.

Nike was like, 'Okay, well, we had to do something with our guy'. So, they pulled me over and was like, 'It's either going to be Nike or Jordan.' I'm like, 'Well, Jordan, for me, I'm a Chicago guy. This is why I play the game of basketball.'

They were like, 'Well, Jordan got to get you to sign off.' I remember thinking, 'Man, I hope MJ gives me to sign off.' I remember driving in Chicago one day, and I got a call from this number that I didn't recognize. I picked it up, and it was MJ.

He was telling me that he wanted me to be the face of the brand with the other guys that were there. It was cool because I had a great relationship with Melo and CP (Chris Paul), who were the faces of the brand.

It was different from Converse because I went from being the face to a part of the family. But that's what I wanted at that time. So, it just worked out well.

Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Paul at a 2011 Jordan Brand event in Beijing, China. / IMAGO / VCG

Last question: multiple successful signature sneaker lines and a massive presence in the global market. Where do you rank your sneaker legacy? No polite, diplomatic answers. You can be honest.

Well, I think it's one of the greatest stories that no one talks about. To be honest with you. I'm 13 now with Li-Ning; I did six or seven with Converse. I did three with Jordan.

I've had signature shoes every year, but maybe two of those years, something like that. No one talks about it. So, I think it's one of the greatest signature sneaker journeys in sports.

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