If all Adidas had were Anthony Edwards, it could still very well be poised to be the front-runner in basketball shoes for years to come.
The 22-year-old Minnesota Timberwolves guard has firmly taken the jump from budding star to superstar in his fourth NBA season. He’s drawing the most comparisons to Michael Jordan since Kobe Bryant not just because of how well he’s playing, but because of the way he does it.
“Ant-Man,” as he’s called, floats in the air, shakes defenders with insouciance and has MJ’s signature fadeaway in his bag. He’s also a relentless trash talker, possessor of an almost sinister grin and has shown a complete lack of fear in facing off against
the league’s elder statesman.
Of course, Edwards has a killer shoe as well, the AE 1, which has quickly garnered accolades as one of the best signature debuts in the history of the game, perhaps only bested by Mike.
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“We know what his ceiling is,” said Eric Wise, global general manager of Adidas Basketball. “It’s pretty high, if there is one. He’s skyrocketing. You can’t really forecast that, but you knew he had something, from the personality standpoint, the athletic standpoint, his overall game [and] just being himself. He feels like a part of us — it doesn’t feel like a different athlete from a different brand.”
Adidas’ bag doesn’t end with Edwards. Its basketball team has also given veteran James Harden an eighth signature shoe that’s revitalized his line and brought it to new heights. It also has a design language to unite those two shoes, the most sought-after in the NBA for the 2023-2024 season,
as well as the forthcoming new models for Damian Lillard and Donovan Mitchell.
Candace Parker’s retirement led some to believe Adidas was losing its biggest asset in the rapidly growing women’s game, but last month the company announced that she’d take over as president for Women’s Basketball. As one of the greatest players in the history of the sport and a role model
for the Gen Z players, Parker should have favorable odds to grow that side of the business and find a worthy successor to herself as Adidas’ next female signature athlete.
Wise has openly admitted that Adidas Basketball needed a reset before this new era for the division. In terms of why the brand’s latest shoes have resonated so strongly with consumers, he points to an
emphasis on performance above all else. In short: Innovation drives a shoe’s technology, as well as its appearance.
That’s perhaps leading to another golden age of basketball sneakers, as today’s releases share the same feeling of future- looking oddities that defined those of the early 2000s.
As for Adidas Basketball, brand leaders said they’re conscious of the momentum, but are keeping the blinders on and continuing the path that’s been set, rather than overcorrecting based on initial
returns. Wise said this is just the beginning of his team’s vision for the future, one that already appears set for double-digit AE sneakers and more yet-to-be-revealed surprises.
“We’re in the forever game,” he said. “It’s not like a short-term thing.”
About the Author:
Ian Servantes is a Senior Trending News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
