Another vintage-inspired adidas silhouette, the Jabbar Hi, is on the way with a clean aesthetic that can be integrated into any outfit. After reissuing the original Off White Collegiate Royal colorway in both Hi and Low forms, Japanese retailer atmos presented a suede iteration of the Low. Since then, anticipation has been building for future releases. After checking out the Core Black Off White pair, another Jabbar Hi drops alongside them in November 2024, Off White Orbit Grey.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar signed with adidas in 1972, the first deal between an athlete and a brand. The cultural significance of this deal, and the first NBA player signature sneakers, is often overlooked. Before this deal, brands were solely focusing on having their models seen. The Brand With The Three Stripes was the first to break the mold and make the player the model when launching the original Jabbar's in the early 70s. This practice quickly caught on and became the industry standard, as today, many NBA players have signature shoes, and every major sportswear brand has a roster full of athletes. Of course, the most successful of them all, Nike and Jordan Brand, are the most famous. But without Kareem paving the way, none of this might have happened.
Craig Bell happily talks about sneakers or as he calls them "trainers" every day of the year. An avid Bradford City fan, he's also a big supporter of the Philadelphia Eagles. He will forever profess that Cricket is better than Baseball and that Rugby League is better then Rugby Union. Among his many hot takes, he believes the adidas ZX range is the pinnacle of sneaker design.
