Adidas announces James Harden's signature shoe

The next chapter in James Harden’s ascension to the top tier of NBA stardom dropped on Saturday as adidas announced the points guard’s first signature shoe.

The “Harden Vol. 1” is the first offering in partnership with Harden and Adidas after signing a contract on Oct. 1, 2015, for $200 million over 13 years.

This is the first signature shoe for Harden, not just a colorway of an already existing shoe — Harden wore Crazylight Boost 2.5 last season.

From the adidas press release:

"This was my first time creating a shoe from the ground up. With adidas, we wanted to stand for something different, be true to who we are and that's how we separate ourselves," Harden said. "This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and all the work we put in together is what makes this genuine. We're open to each others' opinions and we weren't going to just put shoes on the shelves and say 'This is James Harden.' It's built for how I play and you'll see my style, different moods, the little details and stories that represent who I am."

Harden added, "People always ask me, 'How are you different?' It's hard to explain how you're different but the shoe explains it for me."

The opening offering of Harden’s signature shoe will have four different colorways: Pioneer (black and white) Gila Monster (black and light salmon), Cargo (gray), and Home (red and white).

The design follows the minimalist style of Kayne West’s YEEZY brand, which has turned off many but it is a change of pace from the pronounced, athletic details of Nike and Under Armor. But at the same time, the shoes appear to be a more streamlined version of another Rockets player’s adidas shoe, Tracy McGrady's T-MAC 6.

Harden Vol. 1 Pioneer launches December 3 for $140 on adidas.com with additional colorway drops throughout the season.

Here is a look at each colorway:

Pioneer

Gila Monster

Cargo

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