With August just a few days away that means we are one month closer to the NBA season. Late summer/early fall is prime time for signature athletes to be unveiling and releasing their new signature sneakers for the upcoming season. Tenured Adidas ambassadors James Harden, Damian Lillard, and Derrick Rose will each be releasing their fourth, sixth, and tenth signature shoes respectively. Newcomer Donovan Mitchell will be joining the ranks of Adidas basketball with the release of his own signature shoe as well. With each athlete having their own buzz surrounding their shoe, we took this opportunity to rank the top five current Adidas signature basketball silhouettes (and one non-signature) purely based on aesthetics. After doing so, we then put these five Adidas basketball shoes up against five other signature shoes (with the fifth being a non-signature) from the 90’s, early and mid 2000’s endorsed by three stripe athletes.
Top 5 Current Adidas Basketball Silhouettes
(1) Adidas Harden Vol. 4
Kicking off our list at the #1 spot is the (rumored) Adidas Harden Vol. 4. The 2018 NBA MVP is the clear face of Adidas basketball and his signature sneaker line seems to be pulling the most weight for the last few years. Harden’s fourth rendition in his line of shoes seems to have more depth and design elements than his rather over-simplistic third model. Any player with quick feet, likes a low-to-the-ground ride, and prefers a low-top model will most likely enjoy this shoe. Better colorways will for sure give this Vol. 4 more attention and demand when it comes to the court. Look for James Harden to be taking numerous “step-backs” in these sneakers come the 2019-20 season.
(2) Adidas Dame 6
If this was last year then Damian Lillard’s fifth signature shoe definitely would not have been this high up on the list, with his last model resembling that of a lego brick. Dame’s (rumored) sixth model looks much more sleeker and an overall appealing design compared to his last few runs. The slanted three stripes up by the collar of the shoe is a nice touch and it already looks like some flashy color options are on the way. Apart from the overwhelming demand for Hardens when it comes to Adidas basketball, don’t be surprised to see a good amount of hoopers lacing up the Dame 6 during the 2019-20 campaign.
(3) Adidas D.O.N. Issue #1
In what looks to be a very promising first signature sneaker, Donovan Mitchell takes the third spot in our Top 5 Current Adidas Basketball Silhouettes. Mitchell is young, explosive, a scorer, a leader, and has a great personality. All of that, along with him being on a contending Utah Jazz team, will for sure help him move units with his D.O.N. Issue #1′s. Mitchell’s “Spida” logo sits predominantly on the tongue of his shoe as well as a clean looking toe in the front. So far, the colorways on Mitchell’s shoes pave the way for an exciting season to come. Can Spida’s signature line end up contending with the likes of Harden and D-Lillard’s?
(4) Adidas D-Rose 10
Yes, it’s true, if you didn’t know, Derrick Rose still has a signature line going with Adidas even after all of his injuries, jumping from team to team, and currently being a back-up in the NBA. D-Rose signed a 13-year $185M contract with the three stripes back in 2012 so Adidas is still paying him and more than likely has an obligation to keep pumping out signature models for him. This model sits at #4 on our list due to it being a little chunky and “boot-like.” It’s as if the D-Rose line is an afterthought at this point when it comes to design because basketball players just aren’t demanding them in the U.S. Thoughts about D-Rose and his line of sneakers take a complete 180 when you’re over in China. Rose is still one of the most popular athletes in all of China with his jerseys and sneakers being in high demand annually.
(5) Adidas N3xt L3v3l
Adidas likes to push the envelope when it comes to design and doing new concepts. A shoe with no laces, no straps, no velcro, and no zippers? – sign Adidas up for that shoe! The Adidas N3xt L3v3l will for sure catch your eye on a sneaker shelf but possibly the biggest thing the shoe has going for it is that Trae Young wears it on court. Young, Adidas’ budding young ambassador, came in second place for the 2018-19 Rookie of the Year Award. The shoe is intriguing as it is bold, and hey, at least you never have to worry about them coming untied! With Trae Young being an Adidas athlete on the rise, do you see him getting his own signature sneaker line in the future?
Top 5 Adidas Basketball Silhouettes from the Past (90’s, early and mid-2000’s)
(1) Adidas Crazy 8 (KB8)
Originally debuting in 1998, the Adidas Crazy 8 (originally called “Adidas KB8”), was endorsed by Kobe Bryant. The three stripes had to change the name to “Crazy 8” during the shoe’s initial retro run in 2007 since Kobe was obviously under contract with Nike. Adidas’ 90’s/early 2000’s basketball sneakers had bold lines and futuristic design elements, some with better fan reception than others (**cough** Adidas Kobe 2). The Crazy 8 has always been a favorite amongst both basketball players and casual wearers. Derrick Rose wore a few colorways back when he was with the Bulls along with former Adidas endorser, Jimmy Butler. Putting the Adidas Crazy 8 at our #1 spot was an easy decision.
(2) Adidas T-Mac 2
At one point Tracy McGrady was one of the baddest men in the entire league. As a defender, you did not want to see T-Mac rolling down the lane ready to put you on yet another one of his posters. The shoe was originally released in 2003 and is considered one of, if not the best, of his entire line. The five stripes angling across the front toe of each shoe gave the pair a streamlined look. It also didn’t hurt that Tracy McGrady was dominating the league at this point in time and he had one of the sickest logos of any signature athlete ever. Lebron James even wore this model in high school as Adidas was the official outfitter of his SVSM squad. If you were hooping in the early 2000’s then you definitely know why these deserve the #2 spot on our list.
(3) Adidas Gil-Zero Low
You can’t mention killers on the court in the NBA from the mid-2000’s without the name Gilbert Arenas. Arenas was a match-up nightmare and it seemed as if every morning Sports Center was showing another one of his buzzer beater game-winning jump shots. Arenas had a brief stint with Adidas, but he had one surefire hit on his hands with the Gil-Zero that released in 2006. Released in both mid and low-cut form, Arenas opted to rock the low-cut version, years before Kobe’s 4th signature installment made low-cut basketball shoes even more mainstream. 2006 had to be the height of Arenas’ sneaker days, as it was only a few years later that he was a sneaker free agent and his signature line was long gone. Oddly enough, Gil became more known for what he chose to wear on court when he wasn’t apart of the three stripes anymore.
(4) Adidas Garnett 3
The Adidas Garnett 3 was originally released in 2006 and was KG’s last signature sneaker as a member of the Timberwolves. The shoe featured leather uppers and full-length “bounce” cushioning. Adidas hasn’t used this type of bounce cushioning in many years and have instead created a new cushion, but chose to also call it “bounce” (Alpha Bounce, Pro Bounce, etc.). Hard to believe that at one point in the mid-2000’s Adidas had a stacked line-up of prime Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Tracy McGrady, Gilbert Arenas, and Dwight Howard all marketing their basketball sneakers. The demand for “big men” shoes just isn’t there like it used to be.
(5) Adidas Pro Model S
Back in the mid-2000’s Adidas wanted to revive their classic Pro Model sneaker, but make it a suitable performer for on the court in today’s standards. Originally coming to retail during the 2007/2008 season, the Adidas Pro Model S was a favorite for team basketball. This model was offered in literally dozens of colorways, to match any team color. Additionally, ‘three stripe’ plastic inserts came with each pair so you could further accentuate your shoes to match any uniform concept. The Pro Model S bridged the gap between classic basketball and new-age performer, and was a lock for the #5 pick on our list.
