Matt Varga Record-setter, icon, legend — there aren’t many complimentary labels you couldn’t assign to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. On top of his on-the-court contributions and efforts in furthering civil rights, the Captain remains one of the most influential figures in the history of sneakers. Almost a half-decade after inking their partnership, the Three Stripes just announced it’s about time to honor his legacy with a retro of the (newly titled) adidas Jabbar.
While it’s almost impossible to imagine given how dozens of athletes sport signature styles in today’s NBA, Kareem’s league was far leaner in that regard. His dominance was a significant driver in changing that landscape. Coming together with adidas in 1978 for his first signature shoe, The Tower From Power was the first athlete to plant his visage on the tongue of the then adidas Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, beginning a Three Stripes tradition that remains iconic with models like the Stan Smith.
As a true progenitor of some of the German giant’s most iconic styles (the Top Ten foremost on that list), many design choices that’d become adidas staples stand proud on this retro, reprising the angled stitching at the quarter, a leather collar and a suede mudguard at the tip of the toe. The one swap comes at the midsole, infused with a dose of off-white to reinforce the adidas Jabbar’s vintage bonafides. Along those lines, OG blue & white is the choice for both the Low & Hi, allowing historians & hobbies alike to reprise the retro style nearly fifty years later.
The adidas Jabbar in both cuts lands on October 18th via adidas channels (web, in-store & CONFIRMED) and select retailers. Anticipate a $110 retail price for the Hi and $100 for the Lo.
WHERE TO BUY
adidas Jabbar Hi
