Harden, Adidas look to make noise in shoe game

By Antonio Pascual

MANILA--Adidas continues its reassertion among the top ranks of performance footwear with the recent release of James Harden’s first signature shoe Harden Vol. 1.


The Harden Vol. 1. shows the collective effort that both Harden and Adidas envisioned when they started this collaboration back in October 2015.

“Harden Vol. 1 offered us the unique opportunity to reinterpret the traditional view on creating signature product,” said Brian Foresta, Adidas' global vice president for basketball design. “From developing his logo, to translating signature details and color executions, we set out to create something that is striking even at a distance and embodies everything James represents on and off the court.”

Harden is one of the biggest superstars in the NBA today. Arguably within the top 5 players of his generation, Harden has fans on all age groups that mimic his movements.

Harden and Adidas look to bring to the public a unique and dynamic footwear that caters to his specific style of play.

Bringing in Harden’s input from start to finish, as well as using Adidas’ advanced performance software to analyze stress patterns during his on-court performance, Adidas brought together a shoe that was tailor made for comfort, durability, and support.

It features full-length boost cushion system, a toe guard, asymmetrical lacing system, as well as a traction pattern generated for quick stops, step-backs, and euro steps, some of Harden’s signature moves.
“This was my first time creating a shoe from the ground up. With Adidas, we wanted to stand for something different, be true to who we are and that’s how we separate ourselves,” Harden said. “This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and all the work we put in together is what makes this genuine. We’re open to each other’s opinions and we weren’t going to just put shoes on the shelves and say ‘This is James Harden.’ It’s built for how I play and you’ll see my style, different moods, the little details and stories that represent who I am.”

The performance driven aspect of the shoe does not hinder it from being a beast off the court. Harden is all about fashion and flare. The shoe’s aesthetics itself is a representation of Harden. James incorporated details in the shoe to pay homage to the different aspects of his life that helped him get to where he is. These details include tributes to his family, and his alma mater.

Release date for the Harden Vol.1. is set for Nov. 23, dropping at PHP7,995.

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