Texans WR Hopkins among first to get Yeezy low-top cleats

HOUSTON (AP) Houston's DeAndre Hopkins was among three NFL players to receive the first pairs of low-top Kanye West-designed Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 cleats on Friday.

''It was a surprise to me,'' Hopkins told The Associated Press. ''It wasn't really nothing thought of or something we talked about. Last night they texted me and were like: `We have a surprise for you coming.' And that's what it was.''

As Hopkins talked, the pair of shoes in the popular turtle dove color sat at his feet near the cleats he wore for practice.

The special delivery from West went to Adidas athletes Hopkins, Minnesota's Adrian Peterson and Buffalo's Sammy Watkins. They were sent a day after Denver's Von Miller wore Yeezy 750's , which are high top and look more like a boot, in Thursday night's game against Carolina that opened the NFL regular season.

''He's a big guy, he kind of needs that ankle support,'' Hopkins said of Miller's shoes. ''These are more my cleats and what I wear is the same as the Adidas cleats, and they just kind of put the Yeezy cover on it. I like Von's, but I prefer these.''

Hopkins has tried the shoes on and said they ''feel just the same as my (regular) cleats if not a little bit better.''

The star receiver, who was second in the NFL with a career-high 1,521 yards receiving last season, wants to wear them on Sunday when Houston opens the season against the Bears. But he is worried that the color, which unlike Miller's pair is not a solid tone, won't be NFL approved.

''Hopefully somebody doesn't tell me I can't wear them,'' he said. ''I'm going to still wear them if they do.''

Then he thought about it for a minute and waffled a little on his plan when asked again if he'd wear them even if it would earn him a fine.

''I don't know,'' he said. ''It depends on how much the fine is.''

Hopkins posted a pic of the cleats on Instagram that quickly received thousands of likes.

''Just posting a picture, the whole world loves `em,'' he said. ''So you can just imagine what would happen if I wear them in in the game.''

Hopkins is perhaps the most fashion-conscious player in Houston's locker room and is always looking for new ways to push the envelope on his style. This, he said, is simply another way to do that.

''You've got to be yourself on the field and I think this is a way of being yourself,'' he said.

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