Ric Flair has a new pair of kicks, and he wants everyone to see them before anyone else does.
The Nature Boy and Ewing Athletics, Patrick Ewing’s retro basketball brand, unveiled the 33 HI x Ric Flair, confirming the shoe drops September 5th with a launch event at Cool J’s in Miami, and that Flair himself will be there to hand out pairs.
The Shoe
The collab is built on the Ewing 33 Hi silhouette in a seafoam green and gold paisley print, with “Ric Flair” stitched in cursive script across the side panel, the number 33 on the ankle straps, a “Nature Boy” graphic of Flair’s face on the tongue, and a matching gold-trimmed box reading “FLAIR” in bold white lettering. It is about as close as a sneaker can get to channeling one of his sequined robes without actually being one, and Ringside News wasn’t exaggerating when it said these things “look like they came straight out of his robe closet.”
Ewing Athletics made the inspiration official in its own announcement: “Introducing the 33 HI x @ricflairnatureboy: Based upon Ric’s iconic entrance robes, this model features upgraded premium materials and special packaging and branding throughout.”
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Flair’s own caption left no doubt about the excitement level: “Check Out These Kicks! My Shoe Collab With Ewing Athletics Will Be Dropping On September 5th! Join Us At Cool J’s In Miami For The Event! WOOOOO!”
The Miami Drop
The release doubles as a meet-and-greet. Fans who show up to Cool J’s Miami on September 5th, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, can grab a pair and meet Flair in person while they’re at it, according to Ewing Athletics‘ own post: “Join us in Miami for the release of the shoe at @cooljsmiami on 9/5 from 1-3pm and meet Ric as you grab your pair.” The promo art bills it as a limited-edition release tied to Labor Day weekend, available while supplies last, with no word yet on whether it’ll also drop online.
Why Now
This is not Flair’s first trip into sneaker culture. He signed with adidas back in 2019 and released a Dame 7 colorway inspired by his gold robes the following year, so a collab built around his signature look tracks with everything he’s done in this space since. Ewing Athletics, meanwhile, has built its own identity on retro drops that lean into basketball and hip-hop nostalgia, which makes a wrestling legend a natural next chapter for the brand.
Reaction has been loud in both directions. Under Flair’s post, one fan joked the paisley print looked like something Charlotte Flair should be wearing, and another landed the inevitable pun: “Patrick Wooo-ings?” Under Ewing’s own post, which Charlotte Flair liked herself, fans were already asking for the shoe to go online and floating ideas for the next one, with one commenter wishing Ewing had used the same treatment on its Rogue model and another lobbying for a DMX pair.
No pricing has been announced yet, but Cool J’s Miami is a real, established Ewing Athletics retail partner, so the September 5th event, from 1 to 3 PM, is one Miami sneakerheads and wrestling fans alike can circle now.
