The 8 Best adidas Feet You Wear Basketball Shoes

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Complex Original

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1.

Feet You Wear - EQT Elevation

Your foot's not flat, so why should your shoes be? That was the design concept behind adidas' Feet You Wear technology. Launched in 1996, "the greatest piece of sports equipment" was years ahead of its time with a contoured outsole featuring rounded edges and individual "contact" pads made to improve player's stability. These are The 8 Best adidas Feet You Wear Basketball Shoes.

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2.

Feet You Wear - real deal

No. 8 - adidas Real Deal

Original Release: 1997

Boston Celtics' Antonie Walker was the real deal back in the '90s, and so were his go-to sneakers, the adidas Real Deal. More recently they've been seen on the feet of fellow Celtic Avery Bradley, but back when they dropped in 1997, they were all the rage in the basketball world.

3.

Feet You Wear - KB8III

No. 7 - adidas KB8 III

Original Release: 1999

By the time the '99-'00 NBA season was over, Kobe had earned his first championship with the Lakers. At that time, adidas had rolled out the third installment of the KB8s, which No. 8 wore during his infamous scuffle with the Knicks' Chris Childs earlier that season. Childs got a couple of punches in on Bryant that day, but there's no question who the better player turned out to be. As for the KB8 III, it was under-appreciated in both style and performance, but anyone who's played in a pair knows that in reality that couldn't be further from the truth. And the fact that the III was the final chapter to the Feet You Wear campaign due to legal complications with Ellis, yet another reason why the shoe holds a special place in our hearts.

4.

Feet You Wear - Bromium

No. 6 - adidas Bromium

Original Release: 1999

The Bromium is one of the forgotten members of the Feet You Wear line, but it was a beast on the court. The shoe wasn't as flashy as some of the other models in the family, but its lightweight build and minimal design made for a perfect shoe for balling in the summertime. Sacramento's Chris Webber made them his choice sneakers in the '99-'00 season because of the excellent support and traction they provided.

5.

Feet You Wear - real deal ii

No. 5 - adidas Real Deal II

Original Release: 1998

Following the success of the original Real Deal a year earlier, adidas followed up on Antoine Walker's favorite sneakers with a bulkier and flashier version in 1998. The shoe still carried a lightweight synthetic upper with reflective underlay and a stripe outline. And yes, it had the Feet You Wear cage concept with high-wrap molded EVA for maximum lateral support.

6.

Feet You Wear - KB8 II

No. 4 - adidas KB8 II

Original Release: 1998

By his third year in the league, Kobe was crossing up defenders on the regular in the KB8 II. Like its predecessor, the shoe featured the popular Feet You Wear technology, which provided players with improved stability, flexibility, and control on the hardwood. While the initial KB8 got most of the glory, the KB8 II was no slouch itself. The shoe proved to be the perfect compliment to Kobe's acrobatic style of play. It featured a full-grain leather upper with an EVA midsole and adiPRENE inserts in heel and forefoot.

7.

Feet You Wear - top ten 2000

No. 3 - adidas EQT Top Ten 2000

Original Release: 1996

The iconic Top Ten 2000 is hands down one of the best basketball shoes ever made, period. Despite advancements in sneaker technology, it remains a popular choice for players of all levels of the game. Along with the Elevation, Kobe rocked the Top Ten 2000 for a brief period of time during his rookie season. The shoe, and Kobe, played an important role in keeping the Three Stripes a relevant player in the game.

8.

Feet You Wear - EQT Elevation

No. 2 - adidas EQT Elevation

Original Release: 1996

Worn by Kobe Bryant during much of his rookie season, the Elevation was one of the initial members of adidas' Feet You Wear line. The Black Mamba rocked a pair during the 1997 Slam Dunk Competition. The shoe was extremely durable, and featured a lightweight leather and mesh upper with Microlite striping for some added style. adiPrene in the forefoot gave players a comfortable platform to hoop on.

9.

Feet You Wear - adidas KB8

No. 1 - adidas KB8

Original Release: 1997

Later rebranded as the Crazy 8, the KB8 was Kobe's first official signature shoe from adidas. Its innovative style was a sort of revelation in basketball, and if my memory serves me correctly, every kid in the neighborhood wanted a pair. The shoe featured an ultra-comfortable synthetic leather upper, along with a compression molded EVA midsole. Weighing in at 12 ounces, the KB8 was one of the lightest basketball shoes of its time.

Gurvinder Singh Gandu is a New York City-based contributing writer to Yahoo! Sports and Sneaker Report. A California-raised, sports-obsessed gear junkie, follow him here to keep up with all things performance.

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