INTERVIEW: adidas' Jack Gray Breaks Down the D Rose 3.5

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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1.

Tell us about the new features to expect in the 3.5.
First, we made them more comfortable by adjusting the pattern for a more seamless fit on the inside. The shoe is built around his foot and Derrick wanted to be more comfortable, so we thought to put the SPRINTWEB on the outside. We then built a split pattern on the forefront and added this TPU material, similar to what you would see on our apparel, to hide the split.

"He saw the sketch in early February of last year and said he wanted something bolder."

What was Derrick's first response to the 3.5?
It’s always interesting to see how he responds to a new idea. When he first started to work with us, he was pretty quiet and now he’s more expressive. He saw the sketch in early February of last year and said he wanted something bolder. Another thing he wanted was the logo we created for him on the side of the shoe to be very noticable. His first reaction when we showed him a model and he saw the detailing was two words: ‘Mean and Cold.’ If he really likes something like that and nods at it and hands to his friends and they like it, we know we’ve got a hit.

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2.

Obviously he hasn’t been able to play in them, but has he worked out in them yet? What’s been the response performance-wise?
He worked out in them during the summer and a lot of our high school and college teams have weartested them, too. Schools like UCLA and Baylor have worn them and as we go into conference championsships, you’ll see some players wearing them along with the CrazyFast. Tony Allen will probably the first NBA player in the 3.5.

John Wall is really new to the adidas family, but can we expect to see him in them before he possibly gets his own signature shoe?
We’re still working a lot of that out with John because it’s so new. As of right now only Tony Allen wears the Rose products.

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3.

What’s the biggest difference players will notice between the DRose 3 and the 3.5?
The biggest difference has to be the mold and design. A lot of times we’ve done clean toe-downs, but adding the sprint web to the outside gives it a new feel. Guys can wear these with jeans or on the court and that’s something different to the shoe. That ties back to the 3 but we’ve made it more aggressive.

That’s great aesthetically, but what’s the benefit performance wise to moving the SPRINTWEB to the outside?
It creates less seams on the inside, allows for more comfort, and allowed us to to make the perforations more breathable. Also, displaying all of the technology is something that you typically don't see and it lets the material move better and it maintains support without letting the toe stretch out too much. By removing the layer on the inside, it’s like having a comfortable cage on the outside of the shoe. There’s also a new detail molded at the ankle called the "ankle pocket", which allows for more support and comfort.

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4.

That’s because he plays with ankle brace, right? There was room for one on the 3.
All of his shoes have some ankle feature because he plays with an ankle brace. The ankle pocket is designed to work well with them, but works even better without one. If you don’t wear one with the 3.5, there’s not so much material along the ankle and the pocket will act like a brace by cradling the ankle. 

When will this shoe release?
We’ll be doing a Chinese New Year pack which comes out on January 22, followed by a release of black and red design for Away, and a grey shoe for Home on the January 31. Just like the Rose 3, every shoe is its own story and every story comes with a unique detail. For example, the Home and Away designs have “Rooted in Chicago” written in script on the inside of the tongue. which ties into the aesthetic of his tattoos and Chicago's flag. We always try to make the story very personal for Derrick.

Stay with Sneaker Report for full coverage on Derrick Rose's latest signature shoe with adidas. The D Rose 3.5  will be available in Home and Away colorways on January 31 at adidas for $160. The shoe will launch in six additional colorways through April.

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