Jaylen Brown has had an insane year. From Eastern Conference Finals MVP, Finals MVP, to NBA champion, the 27-year-old can now add another title – sneaker creator. Late September saw JB launch the mysterious shoe he’s been sporting lately, introducing it as 741, his new performance brand. After going without a sneaker deal since 2021, Brown has often played in Nike shoes despite the obvious dispute with the company.

From the Kyrie Irving issue where JB commented, “Since when did Nike care about ethics?” to the more recent Olympic snub, which he believes the footwear giant has a hand in, Brown couldn’t have made his feud with Nike more obvious.

Talking about the decision to start his own brand, the 3x All-Star said, “741 is more than just a sneaker brand — it’s a statement about independence, creativity, and ownership,” he said in the release. However, the reception hasn’t been that favorable. And that’s putting it mildly.

Here’s one, for instance. “Super trash.” said one user in response to a post by NBA Retweet. The post, for its part, had a close-up look of the 741 Performance Rover “Black Moon”. According to the post, the sneakers will be available on October 22, 2024. It is also the same day that the Boston Celtics kick off their NBA regular season, raise their championship banner, and receive their rings. So, it truly is a special day.

Although his futuristic-style shoe might not touch the hearts of every sneaker aficionado, it holds deep meaning for Jaylen Brown. For one, each number holds a special meaning. 7, in addition to being his jersey number, represents “spiritual awakening, wisdom, and understanding.” The 4 indicate “hard work, stability, and practicality” and the 1 honors “new beginnings, creativity, and independence,” the brand’s website reads.

The website also shows that adult sizes retail for $200 a pair and the kids sizes come in $70. Brown also mentioned in his debut news release that he “turned down $50 million in offers” from major sneaker companies just so that he would have complete ownership and creative control over the shoes he made.

That said, the creativity he has brought in for his first-ever sneaker hasn’t gone too well over with fans.

Jaylen Brown shoes receive mixed reactions from fans on X

Our second user seems to have taken a leaf out of the above guy’s playbook in being quite direct with their feelings. “Nobody Don’t Want These!!!” the self-proclaimed sneaker-head wrote, followed by a person throwing trash in a can emoji. While it might be a stretch to claim to speak for everyone, looking at the overall reactions, they might not be too far.

This next individual has quite a unique angle. “Bro got the enlarged apple seeds on the shoe,” they wrote, followed by a flame and a face with steam coming out of its nostrils emoji. That’s one way to describe the pushing of ‘boundaries in design and functionality’ the brand promises.

While the above guy seemed to have at least some opinion, this user is among the baffled. “What the hell are these,” wrote the individual. At first look, one can be at a loss for words, to be sure. But I suppose it goes with what Jaylen Brown wants to do with his performance brand.

And finally, this user seems to think in a more positive light. “they look really comfortable.” 

The sneakers reportedly provide “as much stability as a hiking boot and distribute underfoot pressure to optimise the effectiveness of the midsole for a super supportive shoe with dynamic lacing.” So, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they indeed turn out to be super comfortable.

Despite the mixed reception, Brown keeps a realistic viewpoint about the whole thing. “It would be great for it to be successful. But even if it’s not, who cares? I’m just kind of tired of seeing the same old things, the deals constructed the same way,” the reigning MVP said, via The Athletic’s Jared Weiss.

But that’s not all he has on his mind. “Even if this isn’t like super successful, it sparks other athletes, other creators to have the courage to start to build stuff on their own.” 

After all, Brown’s inspiration to start his own line came from the late Kobe Bryant, who was preparing to launch his own brand before his untimely passing away.