Forget the breakfast of champions — it's all about the footwear of champions. If you wanna handle like Van Axel (to borrow a line from Jay-Z), you gotta have the right sneakers on the court. Even when you're off the court and the scoreboard you're worried about tracks your fashion (rather than your b-ball) moves, the game still centers on the kicks. So why not go for performance and style and double your points?
That's precisely what Adidas Remix has accomplished since its inception in 2007, celebrating the look and fit of the brand's favorite basketball shoes with new, fashion-forward, luxury design elements. By collaborating with tastemakers like urban apparel brand Lemar and Dauley, streetwear designer Gabriella "Mama" Davi-Khorasanee, jeweler Gabriel Urist and Philadelphia-based basketball lifestyle brand UNDRCRWN, Adidas Remix steadily pumps out limited-edition collections that are almost instantly inducted into the Sneaker Hall of Fame. Most recently, Adidas teamed up with UNDRCRWN for a three-shoe line dubbed Adidas Team Signature Command + Create x UNDRCRWN: The Brand for Champions Series.
The line pays homage to the players within the Adidas family who are labeled the "Commanders" (Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard and Tim Duncan) and those considered "Creators" (Tracy McGrady, Gilbert Arenas and Chauncey Billups) and makes stylish references to the NBA Champions trophy and ring. The three styles consist of: the black, yellow and gold TS Creator x UNDRCRWN, an embossed leather design inspired by the NBA Champions ring (notice how the embossed print replicates the ring's classic design, with the bold block letters running along the perimeter of the square, which boasts rounded edges); the TS Creator Low x UNDRCRWN, a vintage-looking, cream leather-and-canvas model with red-and blue piping; and the TS Commander x UNDRCRWN, a bold hi-top featuring a forest green checkerboard upper, red laces, and a striped green-and-red velcro strap with a gold lace plate featuring the UNDRCWN insignia.
My favorite is the TS Commander X UNDRCRWN, which pays homage to Gucci by borrowing the luxury brand's signature green-and-red color scheme (which, interestingly enough is also the palette most often used when constructing outdoor basketball courts). Now these are some we-fly-high joints!
Adidas' new Commanders + Creators x UNDRCRWN series sneakers, $125 each. Visit UNDRCRWN.com
