NBA Fans Roast the Nike Book 2: "Ugly, Horrid, Downgrade"

Late Wednesday night, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker debuted his highly anticipated second signature Nike basketball shoe. The Nike Book 2 officially launches in January 2026 and will drop in dozens of colorways.

The Nike Book 1 was already polarizing because of its lifestyle-friendly silhouette, unimaginative colorways, and heavy-handed homage to classic Nike sneakers. So, there was little room for error with the debut of the Nike Book 2.

While NBA fans and sneakerheads almost always complain about new shoes upon their initial impression before eventually warming up to the model, social media did not hold back yesterday.

Some of the responses were positive, but the Nike Book 2 was met with a lot of negativity online. Below is an excerpt of what fans are saying about Booker's sophomore sneaker.

Too Similar to the Nike Sabrina 3

Too close to the Sabrina 3s 😬 https://t.co/RFg7xNlqmi
— Mamba Mentality (@BlackFlazh) November 19, 2025

A recurring theme was comparisons to the Nike Sabrina 3. Nike launched Sabrina Ionescu's third signature sneaker earlier this year, and the Nike Book 2 does draw some resemblance to the side panels and upper.

Top 5 Ugliest Signature Line

Book top 5 ugliest signature line https://t.co/tGpmgvALl5
— 🏁Torchy Andretti🏁 (@torchyworldwide) November 19, 2025

Many fans did not offer constructive criticism; rather, they aired out their frustration with Booker's signature sneaker line. It took two years between Booker's first two sneakers, and some are already over the line.

Downgrade from the Nike Book 1

The first ones weren’t good but the 2nd ones are terrible https://t.co/z4icO0aDPj
— 🔌 (@Hospey) November 19, 2025

Personally, I am in this camp. I liked the Nike Book 1 because it was comfortable and easy to wear off the court. However, the Nike Book 2 is less lifestyle-friendly and looks narrow at the toe box.

Can't Wear On or Off the Court

Throw both in the garbage nobody wearing these in public or on a court https://t.co/9fwPi4ZT0U
— 2025 has arrived (@brooks_english) November 19, 2025

Building on the previous point, the Nike Book 2 will be much more difficult to wear off the court than its predecessor. Additionally, it will be less popular on basketball courts unless it offers incredible performance. Nike has a lot of great hoop shoes right now available for less than the $145 retail price of the Nike Book 2.

Pages Ripped Out

No more back tab that looks like pages? 😮‍💨 it was such a beautiful detail https://t.co/QfuaWoaouO
— Oscar (@JustOscar) November 19, 2025

One of the best details on the Nike Book 1 was the pull tab on the back heel. It featured a layered ribbon material that mimics the pages of a book, sometimes with specific messages. How can Nike rip the pages out of a book?

Horrid and Swagless

Horrid and swagless https://t.co/u57O7qlK6B
— BG ⚫️ DJ ⚫️ Doc ⚫️ Logo ⚫️ (@LAdesignGuy) November 19, 2025

"Horrid and swagless" were two adjectives a fan used on social media to describe the Nike Book 2. While we would not go that far, the shoes are lacking in the swagger department.

Discount Rack

Can’t wait to grab these off the discount rack 🔥 https://t.co/eiIlEoic7w
— 🏁Degen Gibbs (@imgibbs) November 19, 2025

Some fans are excited about the opportunity to buy the shoes at a major discount. They launch at $145, but fans can expect the shoes to be discounted. In June, the Nike Book 1 was more than 50% off.

High Top K-SWISS

They really gave my goat high top k-swiss & put a swoosh on it 💔💔💔💔 https://t.co/wEqzAy52xM
— B2 (@BobbyBazelais) November 19, 2025

A quick search on social media for the phrase "K-SWISS" will yield many results of fans comparing the Nike Book 2 to a model from the classic sneaker company. It is probably due to lines on the lateral side panels resembling the five stripes of K-SWISS.

Nike's Archive Came Up Short

I just don't get how you have Nike's designers and their entire archive at your disposal and come up with this https://t.co/zKMENq1BhK
— kaegan 👁️‍🗨️ (@___kaegan) November 19, 2025

The Nike Air Zoom Spiridon and the Nike Air Force 1 served as the inspiration for the Nike Book 2. Booker has used his signature line to pay tribute to classic sneakers from Nike's rich catalog, but some fans say they're coming up short.

Mailed it In

If “mail it in” was a signature shoe https://t.co/8ckGSTtfBS
— Shme (@kelshmeamyy) November 19, 2025

Former Jordan Brand designer Kelsey Amy did not hold back in her criticism of the Nike Book 2. She joined the chorus of fans complaining by saying the design of the shoe was mailed in.