John Kim 
adidas Basketball was stuck in quite the sticky juncture at the release of the adidas Rose 3; the shoes were by far the most impressive Rose signatures to date, but with the star player missing the entire season with a knee injury, the shoe never really picked up any steam due to the lack of on-the-court sightings. Seeing the shoes on the feet of the superstar is by far one of the most powerful marketing tools for a signature basketball shoe, but no presence along with a competitive price-tag of $160 resulted in under-performance at retail, but things should change when Derrick gets back on the court. By then, he’ll probably be wearing the adidas Rose 4, for which a sample in a grey/black and red/black is previewed here; it features a similar silhouette as the Rose 3 and appears to use lux materials (pointing to another high MSRP), with stylized perforations, a pronounced heel-counter, and sleek midsole giving the shoe that grown-up appeal. We’ll have more for you when the adidas Rose 4 releases later this year, so check out the extra shot below and stay tuned.
Photo: aaronknows
