Langston Galloway of Phoenix Suns Unveils Sneaker Company ETHICS Ahead of the NBA Finals

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7:15 PM ET

Nick Dypaola ESPN

After receiving attention on a game-to-game basis for his rare and exclusive sneakers throughout the playoff round at the Phoenix Suns, guard Langston Galloway has his biggest upset yet planned ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

He reveals his brand of sneakers.

ETHICS, a company owned by Galloway and his wife Sabrina, plans to tell the story of the unlikely path of the 6-foot-1 marksman from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Saint Joseph’s University and to a seven-year career in the NBA. He will wear an all-white version of his signature ETHICS LG 1 shoe throughout the finals, with a full retail version of several colors planned for the fall.

“My work ethic has gotten me to this point in my career,” Galloway said. “But morals started since I was a child to become an adult, living my life and living my dreams.”

With a previous footwear deal with Q4 Sports expiring last season, and several companies taking a spending freeze to sign new sneaker deals, Galloway spent the majority of the 2020-21 season as a free agent for sneakers. Behind the scenes, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

Langston Galloway says he hit a price point for his ETHICS shoes in the $100-$120 range, to appeal to “kids who’ve been through similar things” that they experienced during his trip to the NBA. GT

“I love to wear brands, but the most important thing to me is owning them and leaving a legacy for my son and daughter. That was my mentality,” the 29-year-old said.

It outlines the design, concept and branding process that began in early 2020, with the hours spent at ETHICS intensifying once the NBA season wrapped up in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“My stylists and I got to work in full force,” he said. “We talk every day, share drawings, and then, as soon as COVID happened, we were on call or Zoom every day. Once we got in touch with the factories, we got the molds, the various details we wanted to get on the shoe and the test samples — it was many hours back and forth.”

He was used to his travel schedule and exercised non-stop during the season, and his wife had a different view.

“The best part about it was that even though you had to focus on communication, you were also sitting at home with us,” said Sabrina Galloway. “I literally said, ‘Let me dig 10 fingers deep, because I can’t go anywhere or do anything. “

After “asking a billion different questions” to factory partners and eventually obtaining physical samples of 12.5-size shoes to try, tweak and adjust along the way, Galloway and his wife also focused on branding, marketing, and potential fascia—outside the company.

This led to Galloway enrolling in Harvard Business School and the NBA’s “Crossover into Business” joint program in February. The three-month course brings together professional athletes from various sports and Harvard MBA students.

Registered athletes gain insight into the world of business and partnership structures at a high level, while also receiving advice and feedback on specific projects they are pursuing.

“It was a huge part!” He said. “The group helped me with ideas, but I was also able to review cases in startups.”

1 related

Galloway says he’s settled his shoe price point in the $100-$120 range, to appeal to “kids who’ve been through similar things.” He added that the design of his first LG 1 is a blend of fashionable and forward-looking, “a way to give glory to all the nostalgia and all the shoes I’ve worn in the past.”

The brand name is also an inclusive concept, with the ability to join other road athletes and create their own footwear under the ETHICS umbrella.

As more and more players of all levels across the league look at their marketing and branding, Galloway mentions how projects like Lavar and Lonzo Ball’s Big Baller Brand have made players think differently, and view ownership versus endorsement in all their deals.

“They were definitely a trendsetter,” he said.

Taking on the Suns with the Milwaukee Bucks in Game One of the NBA Finals Tuesday night, Galloway revealed that he received a final pair of LG 1s several weeks ago.

“I was like, I should put this on court,” he said. “I was thinking, ‘Okay, I’m going to wear it for the first round. “No, we’re doing really well in the first round.” “Round two?” Nah, we’re about to sweep. “Okay, round three?” I think we’ll make it to the finals.

“We have a really good team and a really good run here, so this is perfect timing and exactly what I wanted, to qualify for the finals. You couldn’t ask for any better story to take them out.”

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