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The second wave of Jerry Lorenzo’s Fear of God and adidas basketball collection is upon us and will be hitting the shelves before the year is out.
According to Sneaker News, the second wave of the popular basketball sneaker line has gotten a release date of December 2024, and while adidas’ Samba silhouette has taken over the streets, the new Fear of God Athletics II Basketball “Night Brown” are sure to find some love among basketball players and overall sneaker aficionados.
Though no exact release day has been set just yet, best believe ballers will be keeping an eye out for these. The comfort level is said to be next level even though they have yet to become a staple on the professional basketball court.
Per Sneaker News:
To the uninitiated; the preceding I Basketball admittedly fell short of its intended performance capabilities and never found its way onto NBA hardwood. It did, however, gain traction as a lifestyle shoe among fans of Jerry Lorenzo’s established design language. The next Fear Of God basketball shoe speaks to the idea behind Lorenzo’s “ESSENTIALS” brand, emphasizing functionality while capturing the same aesthetic that’s made FOG a household name.
The “Night Brown” colorway comes as a sensible introductory look, saddled with a dark upper and light midsole. While full technical specifications haven’t been unveiled at the time of this writing, the shoe features a mesh base, sleek Three Stripes paneling, and warped radial tread underfoot. White and grey colorways have also been making rounds on social media, and as mentioned, Lorenzo previewed another version featuring a TPU cage in early October 2024. However, no details regarding that shoe have been floated just yet.
We can’t front, these joints actually look pretty spiffy. Just sayin’.
Check out pics of the Fear of God Athletics II Basketball “Night Brown,” and let us know if you’ll be checking for these when they drop next month in the comments section below.
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The once successful partnership between Kanye West and adidas has reportedly been fully dissolved. The two parties have settled their legal battle.
As spotted on Sneaker News the apparel giant has confirmed that they no longer have any business ties to the rapper. During an third-quarter earnings call a reporter asked for an update regarding the brand’s current ties to Kanye West to which CEO Bjorn Gulden responded “There (aren’t) any more open issues and there is no… money going either way.” The Norwegian businessman went on to add “there were tensions on many issues (but) … both parties said we don’t need to fight any more.”
Kanye West and adidas originally announced their partnership back in 2014 after the “Stronger” performer claimed Nike failed to limited him to only creating sneakers. In 2015 YEEZY Season 1 debuted along his first adidas signature shoe. The Yeezy Boost 350 was a huge success with this model selling over 9,000 pairs in over 10 minutes. His line would go on to produce several iconic sneaker releases including the YEEZY 700, 300, Foam Runner and Slides.
On Oct. 7, 2022 adidas announced they would be ending the line after Kanye West made several antisemitic remarks. “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness” a press statement read. Following the split adidas moved to exhaust all remaining YEEZY inventory via their CONFIRMED app and at adidas outlet stores.
Adidas has reached a settlement with Ye (formerly Kanye West) to resolve all outstanding legal claims stemming from the company’s decision to end its partnership with the rapper and his Yeezy brand.
The deal, announced by CEO Bjorn Gulden during a quarterly earnings call and first reported by Bloomberg, came roughly two years after Adidas announced it would terminate its years-long brand deal with Ye in the wake of his antisemitic statements and other erratic behavior.
“Both parties said we don’t need to fight anymore and withdrew all the claims,” Gulden said on the call, adding that neither side would pay the other as part of the settlement. “No one owes anybody anything anymore. So whatever was is history.”
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It’s unclear exactly what legal disputes were ongoing when the deal was reached. The two sides were engaged in private arbitration over the split last year, but the status of that case is unknown. A rep for Ye did not immediately return a request for comment on Adidas’s announcement.
Adidas, which operated a lucrative sneaker collaboration with West for nearly a decade, was one of many companies to terminate its relationship with the rapper in the fall of 2022 after a string of bizarre statements and actions, like unveiling a “White Lives Matter” shirt at Paris Fashion Week and claiming he was going “death con 3 on Jewish people.”
It was a messy breakup for Adidas. The split left the company holding $1.3 billion worth of unsold Yeezys and no easy option to unload them, contributing to a loss of $655 million in sales for the last three months of 2022.
Days after Adidas announced the split with West, court records show that the company demanded Yeezy return $75 million that had allegedly been deposited into its accounts. When Yeezy refused, Adidas secretly filed a case in federal court, seeking an order to immediately freeze those funds. A judge initially granted that motion, but then later unfroze the funds.
In the course of that litigation, both sides revealed that they were also engaged in a private arbitration case over the termination of the partnership. The exact parameters of the dispute were kept secret, but Adidas argued in public court documents that Ye’s “racist, antisemitic, and other offensive public statements and conduct” had caused “considerable damage to its brand” and led to the breakdown of the partnership.
“Adidas has multiple causes of action against Yeezy, resulting from Ye’s highly public and offensive conduct described above, which violated the terms of the agreement and justified adidas’s termination of that contract,” the company argued. “Those broader causes of action, as well as the dispute over [issues], will be resolved through arbitration.”
In a groundbreaking collaboration, global music phenom Bad Bunny and soccer legend Lionel Messi join forces to introduce a pioneering Adidas shoe line that epitomizes the golden juncture of sport and music: the Bad Bunny x Messi collection, scheduled to launch on Saturday (Oct. 26).
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Bad Bunny — whose dynamism has vaulted him from top-tier festivals to the upper echelons of global music icons — shared how their initial meeting was imbued with mutual insight and enthusiasm for this collection. “That first encounter with Messi was incredible. From the moment we got together, the vibe was good,” revealed the Puerto Rican superstar in an exclusive interview with Billboard Español. “We talked about our visions and what we wanted to achieve with the collection. Both of us are passionate about what we do, and that shows in every idea we shared. It was a smooth and natural process, and I will never forget it.”
Bad Bunny
Inoni Etel
The collection reimagines Adidas heritage through two iconic silhouettes: the Adidas Gazelle and the Adidas F50 cleat, each embodying the essence of its muse. The creative infusion is very personal, with references to their roots and triumphs. “I think we brought both my style and Messi’s into it, primarily basing it on the naturalness with which each of us approaches what we do. We were inspired by a 1949 Adidas shoe that featured the natural brown colors of leather,” noted Bad Bunny.
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Lionel Messi, meanwhile, spoke to Billboard Español about the role music plays in his life. “Music is connected to many aspects of life. Not only to soccer, although it is true that there is a special connection between both worlds, but also to moments of leisure, to workouts in the gym, to trips while driving,” he said. “Music is something I like very much and is present in several moments of my daily life,” he added, also mentioning that Bad Bunny is an artist that is “never missing” in his playlists.
Building on the theme of collaboration, Bad Bunny recalled a standout moment during the creative process: “A memorable moment for me was when we started to shape the vision for this collaboration. Working with someone as iconic as Messi and seeing how we each brought ideas and concepts to the table was truly unique.”
This venture’s momentum is fueled by the unwavering support of their global following via Adidas’ La Voz de los Fans campaign. “The fans’ influence has been fundamental in our careers, and this collaboration would not have happened without their passion,” Benito highlighted. “They inspire us to keep evolving and experimenting on every project. This campaign is a reflection of that connection, because without the fans, none of this would be possible.”
On the impact of his worldwide following, Lionel Messi also conveyed a sense of honor coupled with duty. “I am aware that there are a lot of people who follow me and a lot of kids too. For me it is a pride and a great responsibility,” said the Argentine global champion. “I always tried to be myself, but bearing in mind that there are people who notice me, who follow me and support me every day.”
Lionel Messi
Inoni Etel
The collection, showcasing designs like the ‘X’ stripe heel and blue accents linking to Adidas’ heritage, transcends traditional sportswear to embody shared greatness and artistic synergy. Each piece is an homage, a collective memory crafted for the pitch and the playlists.
Both megastars see this collection as a symbol for future generations, exemplifying the merger of their realms and standing as a testament to collaborative greatness. “With Bad Bunny x Messi we hope to create a legacy that reflects this unique collaboration, inspiring new generations to follow their passions and work hard to achieve their dreams. We want this collaboration to become a symbol of unity for our Latino community and for the future,” said Bad Bunny.
As Messi and Bad Bunny continue to redefine paradigms in their fields, this collaboration is not just a testament to their stardom but a celebration of the crossroads of culture, music and sports.
The Bad Bunny x Messi collection is set to drop both online and in select flagship stores. For more info, visit adidas.com/badbunny and adidas.com/lionel_messi.
Adidas AG has won a court order dismissing a class-action lawsuit that claims the German sneaker giant violated securities laws by failing to warn its shareholders about Ye’s offensive behavior.
The case claimed that Adidas knew about serious problems with Ye (formerly Kanye West) as far back as 2018 but failed to disclose them, leaving investors facing losses when the company finally ended the partnership in 2022 over Ye’s antisemitic tirades and erratic behavior.
In a ruling Friday (Aug. 16), Judge Karin Immergut said she did not condone Ye’s conduct “erratic, inappropriate, and antisemitic” behavior and said it was “troubling” that it had happened at Adidas, but that it did not rise to the level of securities fraud.
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“The question before this court is not whether to admonish Ye or hold Adidas morally accountable for Ye’s conduct,” Immergut wrote. “Rather, this Court is faced with a precise legal question: has Plaintiff sufficiently pleaded facts showing that Adidas misled investors and thereby committed federal securities fraud? On the current record before this Court, the answer is no.”
Adidas ran a lucrative collaboration with Ye and his Yeezy apparel brand for nearly a decade. But the party ended in 2022, when the sneaker company (and many others) cut ties with the embattled rapper amid a wave of offensive statements he made about Jewish people. In an October 2022 statement announcing the split, Adidas said the rapper’s statements were “unacceptable, hateful and dangerous.”
It’s been a messy breakup for Adidas. The split contributed to a loss of $655 million in sales for the last three months of 2022 and left Adidas holding $1.3 billion worth of unsold Yeezys and facing tricky questions about how to dispose of them responsibly. Adidas also battled Ye in court over millions in company funds and disclosed that it was litigating other aspects of the divorce in private arbitration.
In May 2023, a group of investors took Adidas to court over the breakup, arguing that Adidas executives had been aware for years of the potential harm that could come from the Ye partnership but had failed to publicly share such concerns with shareholders, as required by U.S. securities law.
In particular, the lawsuit cited a November 2022 Wall Street Journal article reporting that Adidas executives feared for years that the Yeezy relationship could “blow up at any moment.” The article reported that West had made antisemitic comments in front of Adidas staffers, including suggesting that an album be named after Adolf Hitler. The Journal story also highlighted a 2018 presentation to then-CEO Kasper Rørsted that detailed the risks of the arrangement and contemplated cutting ties with him.
But in Friday’s ruling, Judge Immergut sided with arguments from Adidas that the company’s disclosure statements had not misled investors about the risk posed by Ye. In one passage, she reminded the plaintiffs that Ye had shown signs of erratic behavior well before the split with Adidas — quoting statements in which he said that “racism is a dated concept” and that slavery was a “choice.”
“This court would be remiss not to note the very public nature of Ye’s behavior before Fall 2022,” the judge wrote. “After all, courts are not required to exhibit a naiveté from which ordinary citizens are free.”
The judge gave the investors one final chance to refile an updated version of their case against Adidas, but she cast doubt on whether they could overcome the problems she had identified in her ruling.
Attorneys for both sides did not immediately return a request for comment.
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Back in the day it was most athletes’ dream to get a signature sneaker from the Swoosh brand, Nike, but as of late it seems like adidas has been stealing a lot of their thunder. Now, an Olympic Gold medalist seems to prefer three stripes to a swoosh, if he can have it his way.
According to Nice Kicks, Noah Lyles let the world know that he wanted his own signature shoe with adidas right after he took home the gold medal In the Paris Olympics 100-Meter sprint. Beating out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by just tenths of a second in a pair of adidas Y-3 track spikes, the new fastest man in the world expressed his desire for a signature sneaker with the three-stripe brand in a post-race interview.
Nice Kicks reports:
“I want my own trainer,” he said. “Dead serious… I want a sneaker. There ain’t no money in spikes. There’s money in sneakers.”
If adidas were to make Lyles a signature shoe, he’d join the history books once more, this time in the world of sneakers joining legendary Michael Johnson and Allyson Felix as the only American sprinter with a shoe.
Johnson, who released the Nike Air Zoom JST in 1998 following the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and Felix, who left Nike and started her own footwear brand Saysh, set enough precedence for the Three Stripes to meet the demand of fans and athletes alike who aspire to performan at the highest level.
adidas would be fools to pass up this opportunity. Not only has the man earned it, but he bluntly stated he wants adidas over any other brand as his home. Not many athletes would say such a thing.
What do y’all think? Should adidas welcome Noah Lyles to their family? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Just when it seemed like adidas’ popularity was dead in the water following their breakup with Kanye West and the “cancelation” of his Yeezy line (they’re still being sold randomly), they’ve found a new lifeline in a silhouette that’s currently got the streets on fire (after the Samba).
According to Highsnobiety, the Adidas “SL 72” has become the new “It” sneaker as of late and though it seemed like Adidas had a hit with their “Samba” line, the retro SL 72 running sneaker seems to be emerging as its most popular silhouette in 2024. Though Adidas has been releasing it’s remaining stock of it’s Yeezy line over the past year and change, it’s popularity never recovered thanks to Kanye’s off the wall antics and statements.
Per Highsnobiety:
LYST’s quarterly ranking of the hottest fashion brands and items reveals that adidas’ SL72 OG — a retro running shoe that has quietly charmed designers and celebrities alike — is Q2’s second-hottest product.
It’s worth noting that Hadid has also co-signed adidas’ SL72 — she even appeared in a campaign for the sneaker, though the brand apparently dropped the advertisement over backlash to Hadid’s support of Palestine. (Whether adidas’ decision will affect the popularity of the silhouette remains to be seen.)
Regardless, we’re more than happy to move on from the Samba, for reasons that may or may not have to do with Rishi Sunak.
adidas is counting its lucky stars that so many people have a craving for yesteryear’s fashion. Heck, even baggy pants are making a comeback! Who would’ve thought? Once you see rappers or singers start rocking bellbottoms on the regular, it’s a wrap.
What do y’all think about adidas SL 72 being one of the hottest kicks out on these streets? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Cam’ron had plenty to say about Anthony Edwards keeping receipts in his latest adidas commercial.
One thing Cam’ron is not here for is people calling him out. The rapper and now sports talk show host had time for the Minnesota Timberwolves phenom and iconic sportswear company.
The open wound left after the Dallas Mavericks made short work of the Timberwolves in the NBA Western Conference Finals hasn’t even healed yet, but that didn’t stop Edwards from dropping a new AD, letting his haters know he is literally keeping receipts.
In the pretty clever spot for his impressive AE 1 signature basketball shows, Edward’s friend reads comments that were printing out of a receipt machine while he continues to practice on his game.
One of those receipts showed the Dipset co-founder saying about Edwards, “To me, he’s an All-Star, but not a superstar yet.” In response, Edwards says, “f*ck buddy.”
Cam’ron’s Petty Was On Another Level
Cam’ron shared the commercial on his Instagram account with the caption, “#Fuckbuddy 😂😂🔥🔥🔥 commercial!! Thx @adidas for the love. And I had antman back this whole time but I’ll address this Monday on the show.. love the attitude tho. Only thing I would say is get a better looking lesbian to read the receipts.”
Oof, why did homie have to catch a stray like that?
Utilizing his popular sports debate show, It Is What Is, Cam’ron had free smoke for the professional hooper and adidas in the form of freestyle over Black Rob’s “Whoa” beat while rocking a Luka Doncic jersey.
“But f**k wrong with Ant-Man, gave him his props, homie got love from me, new commercial, y’all ain’t got love for me,” Killa Cam raps.
Cam’ron wasn’t done there.
He then came with his own receipts in the form of a “documentary” he is making linking adidas brand footwear with memorable sports injuries like Kevin Ware’s gruesome leg injury he sustained while hooping.
He’s so petty.
We hope cooler heads can prevail. It’s kind of lame of Killa Cam to revisit Kevin Ware’s injury in this manner.
You can see reactions to Cam’ron dissing adidas and Anthony Edwards in the gallery below.
1. Petty levels off the charts.
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Stormzy and adidas are giving back to the people in a major way. The UK rapper and the brand have opened the #MerkyFC community center in London.
As spotted on Hype Beast, Stormzy is taking his partnership with the global sports apparel company to the next level. This week he announced that he is extended his #Merky FC (Football Careers) brand to a brick and mortar footprint. According to their website #Merky FC HQ is a football and community center in Selhurst, designed to nurture the voices of tomorrow Purpose-built with a full size 3G pitch, recording studio and gaming room, it’s a safe space for all to express themselves.”
The “Cry No More” performer shared his excitement in a formal statement. “I’m gassed that we can finally open the doors to #Merky FC HQ. Working with adidas, I’ve wanted to do this for a long, long time and now there’s a community space that everyone in the area will be able to use and benefit from” he said “When I was growing up there was nothing like this around for young people, so it means a lot that we now have a facility like this in Croydon. Proper homegrown!”
#Merky FC HQ is located at Selhurst Sports Arena and will be open Monday through Sunday from 8AM-10PM. You can see the promotional trailer below.
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adidas announced that they would be donating millions of dollars from the sales of their remaining Yeezy shoes to anti-hate groups.
On Wednesday (March 13), the German sportswear giant adidas announced that they were planning to, and in some cases, already donated $150 million to groups fighting antisemitism and other forms of hate from the sales of their remaining stock of Yeezy shoes. The company had an estimated $1.3 billion worth of sneakers created from its partnership with Ye aka Kanye West in their warehouses.
The company began to sell its remaining stock in batches after severing ties with West in October 2022 after his tirade of antisemitic and other hateful comments on social media and in interviews. After the dissolution, adidas sold off Yeezy shoes in two batch releases in 2023 and launched another release sale on Feb. 26 of this year. Part of the proceeds that have been donated have gone to such groups as the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change, run by social justice advocate Philonise Floyd, the brother of George Floyd (who was the subject of one of Kanye West’s rants) as well as the Anti-Defamation League.
adidas reported that the sales helped stabilize their operating profits at $283 million last year – it still wound up leaving the company facing a deficit of 60% in comparison to 2022. “Although by far not good enough, 2023 ended better than what I had expected at the beginning of the year,” said adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden, the former footballer who took over the position at the beginning of 2023 and advocated for the move to sell the Yeezys and donate part of the proceeds. The company expects to improve about 10% in growth over the second half of 2024 with more emphasis on other shoes and a boost from the Olympic Games this summer in Paris, according to its earnings report.
Ye isn’t too happy with adidas’ sales of his Yeezys. As the new batch release sale began in February with the “Steel Grey” 350 V2 version, he voiced his displeasure in the caption of a now-deleted Instagram post. “Anybody who loves Ye would not buy these fake Yeezys I never made these color ways I’m not getting paid off of them and adidas is suing me,” he wrote, adding: “All the new non-approved 350’s are cooorny and everybody know the 350 been corny.”