2015 adidas ‘Black History Month’ Collection

Each adidas sneaker has a specific set of quotes and references:

Crazy 8 – “Fundamentals are the Foundation for Excellence – ‘61 –‘65”

The Crazy 8 features a canvas upper to pay homage to basketball shoes of the 1960s, while the upper’s cracked texture and sockliner echo the blacktop courts of Harlem where Kareem first honed his game. The purple and gold sockliner colors represent Power Memorial Academy, where Kareem led his high school team to record-breaking success which included a 79-2 record and national championship.

“Fundamentals are the Foundation for Excellence” is printed on the sockliner and upper to recognize Kareem’s mantra during his high school career.

J Wall 1 – “Rules are What Make the Game Challenging – ’65 – ‘69”

The J Wall 1 upper and sockliner features the words “Rules are What Make the Game Challenging” to represent Kareem’s career at UCLA, during which the college game banned dunking because of his dominance. Kareem still persevered and owned the era, leading the Bruins to three national championships and an 88-2 record during his time on the team.

The blue and gold sockliner features a hardwood print that pays homage to Pauley Pavilion, where Bruins’ basketball has called home since 1965.

D Rose 5 Boost – “The Hook Shot is Worth a Thousand Words – ’69 – ‘75”

The D Rose 5 Boost upper and sockliner feature the words “The Hook Shot is Worth a Thousand Words” to represent the signature shot that defined his career. Drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks, Kareem’s immediate impact and signature sky hook helped the Bucks win an NBA championship in 1971 and saw him earn the first three NBA Most Valuable Player awards of his career.

The red and green sockliner represents Milwaukee Bucks team colors, while the pattern pays homage to the famous radio tower that broadcasted Bucks games over the airwaves in that era.

D Lillard 1 – “When the Music Changes, so Does the Dance – ’75 – ‘89”

This shoe features this mantra on the upper and sockliner to represent the years that cemented Kareem’s legacy as one of the NBA’s greatest players and brought five NBA Championships to the “Showtime” Los Angeles Lakers. Kareem’s consistent low post-scoring, rebounding and rim-protection helped LA become one of the most successful basketball dynasties of all-time. The purple and gold sockliner represents the classic Lakers colors while palm trees represent LA scenery.

On Monday, January 19th the NBA has a full day of basketball to celebrate Dr Martin Luther King Jr Day; and that is where the corresponding adidas players will be first seen wearing these. The quality of the materials used on this whole pack, especially the D Rose 5, looks AMAZING; which makes me happy that the price wasn’t increased for this specialty release the way that other sportswear brands do.

While this colorway of the D Lillard 1 releases on February 6th (for $105) and Crazy 8 on January 23rd (for $110), the rest of the 2015 adidas ‘Black History Month’ collection (D Rose 5 Boost & J Wall 1) comes out on January 30th for $140 & $115 respectively.

adidas D Rose 5 BOOST – ‘Black History Month’

adidas DLillard 1 – ‘Black History Month’

adidas Crazy 8 – ‘Black History Month’