1.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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