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Back in 1992, the signature basketball sneaker was still a relative rarity. There was Michael Jordan, of course, and Patrick Ewing had left adidas to start his eponymous brand. That was about it. So it was all the more surprising when adidas chose to pin their basketball hopes to a defensive-minded second-year center out of Georgetown who was born in Zaire and didn't even start playing basketball until he got to college. But his rookie year numbers—including a berth on the All-Star team—backed up the choice, and Dikembe Mutombo would soon receive a whole signature collection from adidas. Twenty years later, with his Hall of Fame (presumably) NBA career (presumably) concluded, as adidas Originals prepares to re-release the Mutombo for the first time, we decided to take a look back. Here's 20 Things You Didn't Know About the adidas Mutombo, which releases in retro form this Saturday, August 24th.
RELATED: The 100 Best adidas Sneakers of All Time
Also check out Mutombo on Complex TV's Quickstrike below.
The Mutombo was not loaded with tech gimmickry.
While adidas's TORSION debuted in 1988 with the ZX8000 runner, it didn't find its way into the Mutombo. Feet You Wear was still a few years off, as was the interchangeable bootie of the EQT BB. The Mutombo was just your basic hightop basketball shoe, albeit one designed for the most dominant young defensive presence in the game.
The adidas Mutombo is recognized by global fashion authorities.
The FIDM Museum Fashion Council actually uses the adidas Mutombo in some of their presentations. Pretty sure that's swag on a hundred thousand trillion when it comes to fashion, right?
The African-inspired print is still being used 20 years later on other models.
By design (pun intended) adidas has been sparing with their use of the "Mutombo print," although they did use it on fellow Congo native Serge Ibaka's PEs. But with the return of the Mutombo, it will spread a little wider, even to the classic tennis Matchplay.
The African-inspired print harkened back to Dikembe's roots in Zaire.
Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo was born on June 25, 1966 in Kinshasa, in then-Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The pattern on the upper paid tribute to his African roots-appropriate, as Mutombo himself has never forgotten them.
The adidas Mutombo inspired sneakers you don't even know about.
There were a number of sneakers produced as part of the Mutombo line, several of which were only worn by Dikembe himself. Twenty years after the initial introduction of the first shoe, it's still difficult to put together a complete timeline. And what the hell are these?
Dikembe wore No. 55 because John Thompson said so.
Dikembe Mutombo went to Georgetown to become a doctor, but as a seven-footer, life had other plans. He wound up playing basketball of course, for Hall of Fame coach John Thompson. And while Dikembe wanted to wear 15, Thompson wanted his centers wearing high numbers. He asked for 15, got 55, and wound up wearing it for his entire career.
The Mutombo was designed by Peter Moore, Guy Marshall and Jacques Chassaing.
This is what qualifies as a dream team. Guy Marshall did a lot of adidas product in the early '90s, Peter Moore was a Nike expat who'd done work on the first two Air Jordans, and Jacques Chassaing-who's still with adidas-developed the ZX line of runners. The Mutombo was a big project.
Dikembe approved the design, but didn't work on it himself.
Apparently Dikembe did contribute more to the follow-up shoe, and left the first one to the professionals. We could say that's why the first shoe is still considered iconic as the second is all but forgotten, but that would be mean.
Dikembe's rookie numbers more than justified a signature model.
As a rookie with the Denver Nuggets, Dikembe Mutombo averaged 16.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, and nearly three blocks per game and was named to the All-Star team-and wore Nikes. The following season saw him jump to adidas and be properly outfitted in his own gear.
The first Mutombo ad was shot at Howard University.
Oddly, while the first Mutombo ad was shot in D.C., it wasn't shot at Dikembe's Georgetown. Then again, John Thompson, a Nike lifer, may have had something to do with that. Hoya Paranoia is real.
There was matching apparel available
Lots of matching apparel. So much that it would have taken a special kind of proto-hypebeast to collect it all. Good luck finding it all now - you'll probably just have to wait until Supreme "pays homage" to it a couple of seasons from now.
The Mutombo was the first adidas signature basketball shoe following Patrick Ewing's departure.
When Patrick Ewing left adidas to start his eponymous company in 1989, it probably came as something of a relief to both parties. Ewing was a high-dollar, high-profile signing, but it just wasn't paying off. So it should come as no surprise that it took a while for adi to get back involved in the signature sneaker business. Funny that they went with another Georgetown center.
There was also a Mutombo Low.
The low was more of a lifestyle shoe, seeing that Dikembe himself stuck to hightops on the court throughout his long NBA career. However, now that the whole line has shifted to the lifestyle side, maybe the lows will return as well. Who knows? (Well, adidas probably does.)
The Mutombo began a trend in non-traditional Three Stripes logos.
"You're welcome, D-Rose." - Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo
The Mutombo retro is based off an archive model.
While it may not be an exact stitch-for-stitch replica, it's awfully close. The original molds may have been destroyed, but the "new" Mutombo was based off of an original model in adidas' archives. Which is the next-best thing.
The retro is releasing 20 years after the original.
Hard to believe it's been 20 years since the Mutombo launched, but maybe that's because Dikembe didn't retire from the NBA until 2009. Who knows, if it weren't for that quad injury, he'd probably be starting the 2013-14 NBA season in a fresh pair of size 22s.
The Mutombo logo on the tongue is inspired by a shield.
The logo on the tongue incorporates an "M" and Mutombo's number (55) into a shield with crossed spears motif. Africa inspired, Peter Moore designed (we'll get to that), Dikembe approved.
Peter Moore also designed the shield logo.
For those up on their Air Jordan lore, they might remember that Peter Moore was the Nike designer who came up with the original Air Jordan ball and wings logo as well as the Jumpman. He may have left for adidas soon afterwards, but it's not like he forgot how to design.
