We’ve been using the ‘TISH’ acronym a bit loosely this week, converting it from Today In Shoe History to Today In Sports History. In most occasions, they’re one in the same. So, in conjunction with Throwback Thursday we remember this day in 1984 when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar passed Wilt Chamberlin in All-Time scoring 31,419 –> 31,421 against the Utah Jazz. Scoring looked so effortless for Cap (captain) and he defined the term ‘ungardable’ (check the dictionary, it’s just his face). During his prodigious career Kareem stayed laced in Adidas (for the most part); lets take a look back at some of our favorites.
In 1971 Kareem’s first signature shoe with Adidas bearing his name and iconic ‘sky hook’ shot. An instant draw is the reinforced toe box that typically contrasted the upper.
Low, mid (not pictured), and high cuts were available. A rich leather build and clean stitching are the hallmarks of this silhouette.
Gotta’ love classic campaign marketing! Kareem was the face of Adidas for a variety of models.
Super Star, Shooting Star, Abdul Jabbar High – Original shoes, new shoes, and shoes that look like Converse/Adidas bootlegs! Adidas continued to market the Abdul-Jabbar as Kareem began playing for the Lakers in 1975.
Adidas Crazy 8 ‘The Blueprint’ 2014, 2 colors. Not Jay-Z’s Blueprint but the blueprint of another great mind, Coach John Wooden. Kareem credits Coach Wooden for his development as a player and human. The pack is dripping in UCLA heritage and follow the theme of ‘Wooden’s blueprint for success.’
2015 Adidas x Kareem BHM collection:
– Crazy 8 (high school NYC dominance) canvas upper pays homage to the Chucks he grew up playing in.
– Wall 1 (UCLA legacy) “Rules are what make the game challenging” 3 NCAA Championships, 88-2 record, dominance lead to a ban on dunking.
– D-Rose 5 (Milwaukee Championship) 3 MVP’s, changing the league.
– Dame 1 (Lakers years, MVP’s Championships and swan song) started doing yoga. Each model representing a different time in Kareem’s career.
The contributions Kareem has made to our society outweigh his excellence on the court. He’s a civil activist, community leader, author, philanthropist, father and role model. Thank you, Cap, may LeBron never break your record.
Nick Engvall
Sneaker History