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While Zion Williamson might not be a giant by NBA standards, the New Orleans Pelicans forward isn’t a small man by any stretch. Clocking in at 6 feet, 6 inches, and 284 pounds, Zion seems to strike the perfect balance; he’s big enough to hold his own in the paint but nimble enough to run the floor and defend on the perimeter.

As Michael Jordan told us years ago, though, “it’s gotta be the shoes.” With that in mind, how big are Zion Williamson’s basketball sneakers? And how do his feet compare to the rest of the NBA?

Zion Williamson already looks like a legitimate star

In the world of sports, fans are always looking for the next generational star. While he’s yet to hit his stride in the NBA, Zion Williamson looks poised for greatness.

After rising through the recruiting ranks in high school, Williamson committed to Duke University. Although his freshman year was interrupted by an unfortunate knee injury, the forward still lived up to the hype; Zion averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per outing and consensus National College Player of the Year honors before entering leaving Durham behind.

Once Williamson officially entered the 2019 NBA draft, he seemed like a guaranteed top pick; the New Orleans Pelicans complied, selecting him as the future cornerstone of their franchise. Unfortunately, injuries have delayed his ascension to NBA stardom.

On the eve of the regular season, Zion underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus; his rehabilitation stretched past Christmas and into 2020. Once he hit the hardwood, though, Williamson lived up to the hype. Through the first 23 games of his professional career, he’s the forward is averaging 22.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. As he gets more minutes under his belt, those minutes will only improve.

A big name in the world of basketball shoes

In terms of his professional career, Zion Williamson is still a basketball baby. Despite that youth, though, the Pelicans forward is already a big name in the world of sneakers.

Zion first made shoe-related headlines at Duke, when he infamously tore through his Nike sneaker; that incident led to a knee sprain, which kept the big man off the court for almost a month. Not wanting to appear negligent—imagine being the brand responsible for a career-altering injury—Nike created a special version of the Kyrie 4s for Williamson; in theory, the shoes had to be stronger than your average pair.

After joining the New Orleans Pelicans, Zion made news again, this time from a business perspective. While any company would have happily signed the forward to a deal, Williamson chose to team up with the Jordan brand. Unsurprisingly, given his status, the deal was quite lucrative; according to Darren Rovell, it’s worth $75 million over five years.

What shoe size does Zion Williamson wear?

As you might assume, the NBA is full of large men wearing large shoes. Zion Williamson is no exception.

According to BallerShoesDB, Williamson hits the floor wearing a size 15 sneaker. That number is similar to his overall height; while it’s pretty large by civilian standards, it massive in the world of professional basketball.

For context, Shaquille O’Neal wears an eye-popping size 22 shoe; his fellow big man, Yao Ming, laces up size 18s each morning. If you’re looking for players who are still active, Kevin Durant, DeAndre Jordan, and Dwight Howard also shop for size 18 sneakers.

It goes without saying that there are certain advantages to being a big man in basketball. Zion Williamson’s talent, however, shows that size doesn’t always matter.

Stats courtesy of Sports-Reference and Basketball-Reference

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Senior Writer, Programmer

Joe Kozlowski

Joe Kozlowski began his career as a sports journalist in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2019. He covers the NBA and soccer for Sportscasting, with specialties in legacy NBA players such as Michael Jordan and Premier League club Arsenal. Off the clock, he’s a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a hockey goalie.

Growing up loving Shaquille O’Neal and reading everything he could about the great big men throughout NBA history — likely because he was still tall enough, at least relative to his peers, to play center — he’s continued to love learning about and exploring the historical and story-based sides of the basketball archives.

As for Arsenal, Joe spent a year living in London and latched onto the local support of the club. He’s barely missed a match since, loving Arsene Wenger, enduring the Banter Era, and following along through rebuilds. The Premier League interest developed into a passionate following of the Champions League, Europe’s big five league, and international soccer as a whole when played at the highest level.

Regardless of the sport, Joe is captivated by the stories of athletes beyond the box scores and how they push the envelope — both in terms of what we think a human is capable of accomplishing and how they find new competitive tactics to win.