NEW YORK, July 25 ― Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal might take a size 22 shoe, but he has scaled things down somewhat for his new collection with Skechers.

The athlete has teamed up with the footwear brand on a series of sports shoes for kids, designed with the basketball court in mind. Styles feature leather and knitted upper options, lightweight midsoles and rubber outsoles, and lace-up closures or wide straps. Each shoe comes stamped with a ‘Shaq by Skechers’ mark and the dunking Shaq logo.

"I think kids are going to love the way the new styles look and they’ll love playing in them even more,” O’Neal said in a statement. "These boys and girls might not be dunking yet, but I can’t wait to see them posting up in their new Shaq by Skechers footwear!”

"We couldn’t ask for a better ambassador to help us bring athletic footwear to elementary and middle schoolers in a new and exciting way,” added Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers, of the label’s partnership with the NBA legend.

O’Neal has plenty of experience when it comes to designing fashionable sportswear: He has been working with the athletics brand Reebok for years, first as a spokesperson and later as a designer.

"Shaq by Skechers” is currently available at Skechers in the US, and will roll out in Canada, Europe, Latin America and Israel later this year. — AFP-Relaxnews