James Harden's signature shoe a reflection of his own style

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/james-...-a-reflection-of-his-own-style-215351908.html
James Harden's signature shoe a reflection of his own style

Nick DePaula
The Vertical
Yahoo SportsFebruary 28, 2017

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After James Harden signed his 13-year endorsement deal with adidas at the start of the 2015 NBA season – making him their highest-paid athlete in the sport – the ball got rolling on creating his signature series of sneakers and apparel.

be different." style="margin-bottom: 1em;">The initial concept was simple: be different.

With Harden’s off-the-court style highlighted by ambitious clothes, loud prints and his trademark beard, there was an expectation for funky, quirky and unique looks. His herky-jerky, ball-dominant game is also unique and was a major point of inspiration.

Harden, 26, had never had a signature shoe before, a rarity for an All-NBA player of his stature, but that allowed him to create with a clean slate.

“I’ve never had an opportunity to express myself, my fashion and my clothing,” Harden said. “To go out there and game-plan and have a lot of ideas, I’m having a lot of fun with the process of shoes.”


The Harden Vol. I line (Jonathan Givony of The Vertical)
There was an expectation from fans that his first signature shoe would magically appear just months after he and adidas joined forces, but the truth is the design process typically takes anywhere from 12-to-18 months.

“People always ask, ‘How are you different?’” Harden said. “This is just me, it’s just natural. This shoe represents who I am. It’s hard to explain how you’re different, but the shoe explains it for me.”

Building in Harden’s inherent style

From an initial glance, the shoe features drastic splits throughout, most noticeably along the toe. On the court, the 50/50 color blocking allows Harden’s shoe to stand out on TV broadcasts.

Just like Harden’s frenetic footwork during a game, the Harden Vol. 1 shoe also features distinct and jagged lines, represented in the off-center laces and slanted toecap.


Harden and his adidas design team. (Jonathan Givony of The Vertical)
“It’s rare that you see lacing like this,” Harden said. “Most of the shoes you see have straight, up-and-down laces. This is just to give a little twist on it; those details separate the shoe from everything else.”

The shoe also plays off Harden’s off-court style, taking on a single hue through the upper of the shoe and splashing in casual materials such as suede and ballistic nylon.

“One thing he talked to us about his style was how he has different approaches,” Corey Allen, adidas Basketball’s product manager, said. “He might go more simple from head to toe, and then throw on some flashy shoes. Or vice versa, where he’s simple down low and then something crazy with his hats. We were trying to come up with a blend of making something iconic that also matched his style, that you could also dress it up or dress it down, depending on what mood he’s in.”

For much of the season, Harden has tried to finesse the league’s standard footwear and uniform restrictions, just barely skirting the typical $5,000 fine for color violations on a few occasions. There was the loud gray and pink “Gila Monster” version he wore on the road in Brooklyn, which highlighted the lizard found in the Tempe region he called home for two seasons at Arizona State. This past week, Harden was spotted in a navy and yellow colorway that didn’t exactly match the Rockets’ standard red and silver jerseys.


The dotted sneakers used to collect data in Portland. (Getty Images)

Harden also has worn an all olive-green pair that’s more suited for arena entrances. The variety in his first shoe lineup is far more varied than most players’.

“We were going through his wardrobe, and he’s got these three wardrobe closets with just a footwear collection that’s massive. All of the clothing is all out-of-pocket [purchases] and things that he’s into,” Brian Foresta, adidas Basketball’s vice president of design, said. “There was this Versace shirt that I pulled out, and there’s this leather hunter’s patch across the front. He’s worn it when he’s walked into a few games, and I was like, ‘What’s that all about?’ He just goes, ‘I’m a pure shooter.’”


“It was pretty funny, because it looks like he’s just pushing fashion, but he’s also sending a message,” Foresta said. “He doesn’t take himself too seriously off the court, but it speaks to his approach heading to the game. He takes it very seriously, and he hates losing.”

Tuned for his game

Throughout Harden’s first year with adidas, the brand was working through concept designs of what his first shoe might look like and gathering data for his performance needs. Typically, brands will work with players and have them run through a series of drills and game-like movements at their headquarters in a controlled lab setting to capture data.


Another style of the Harden Vol. I (Getty Images)
Of course, that doesn’t replicate the swarming defenses and real-time decision-making of a game. So adidas, for the first time in league history, equipped the rafters of the Portland Trail Blazers’ Moda Center with its own assortment of high-speed cameras. Harden then played a full game in a Sharpie-dotted sneaker that collected data on his every move.

“We were tasked to take functional insights and raw data from the lab about how he plays, and then interpret that into a new aesthetic,” Foresta said. “You can really break down why every piece is based on him and how he plays the game.”

The bottom of the shoe was then designed by a computer. Knowing Harden relies heavily on exaggerated step-back moves, pivots, plants and jab steps, the toecap layer was added for even more reinforcement and protection on those sudden stops.

“One of the reasons that the toe box is constructed the way it is, is because he stops faster than almost anyone in the game,” Foresta said. “When he hits the breaks, you can see guys stumbling past him. He’s in the 98th percentile of athletes in terms of quickness when he breaks, so we had to get the toe box right for him.”

As he enters the final stretch of the regular season, Harden is having the best year of his career as the Rockets occupy the third spot in the Western Conference. He’s made the most of his shift to point guard in the first edition of what’s expected to be a lengthy series of signature sneakers with adidas.

“It’s been great. I can reach out to them for anything, and vice versa. We’re getting a lot done,” Harden said. “At adidas, we don’t do the normal. We create and do our own wave.”