The Adidas Harden Vol. 8, James Harden’s newest signature sneaker, will launch Feb. 22 in the “Sculpted” colorway, Footwear News can confirm after viewing company documents.
Harden has been playing in his eighth shoe since making his Clippers playing debut in early-November while wearing the “Sculpted” variant. The colorway mostly sticks to a two-tone color scheme that’s quickly become a signature of the new direction of Adidas basketball, as a black base sits underneath a “Hazy Copper” orange oblong ring. Boost cushioning - most likely Jet Boost, to be more specific - can be seen through a small cut-out on the outsole, with the inner portion of the pattern appearing in highlighter yellow.
Adidas sent out a press blast calling out the on-court debut of the Harden Vol. 8 but said more details on the shoe, such as the technologies it utilizes, won’t be divulged until February.
The Harden Vol. 8 shares some of the same design language as the Adidas AE 1, Anthony Edward’s first signature model that launched in December, as both have utilized similar color-blocking and feature a relatively minimalist profile with a large geometric shape extending from the midsole well up onto the upper.
In Footwear News‘ feature on the AE 1, two Adidas Basketball executives discussed the new direction of the division, which they both say began with the Harden Vol. 7, and the efforts to push back against a landscape of performance basketball models that’s felt “stale” and like a “sea of sameness.” Eric Wise, global GM for Adidas Basketball, said: Over the last decade, if we're honest, we've been inconsistent at best. We wanted to get back to being the best version of Adidas.”
In addition to the “Sculpted” colorway, which has been previously reported as being named “Sculpt,” Harden has worn a number of other variants on the court this season that stick to the same two-color concept.
The Harden Vol. 8 “Sculpted” will release Feb. 22, just days after the NBA All-Star Game, through Adidas’ website. Pricing for the sneaker has not yet been confirmed, and this post will be updated as more information becomes available.
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.
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