adidas Basketball unveiled Derrick Rose’s new signature shoe, the D Rose 4, to select members of the media and thousands of young fans at Chicago’s United Center over the weekend. Decidedly less emotional than the D Rose 3 reveal, 2013’s campaign celebrated a return to the court (for real this time) for Chicago’s prodigal son. The event in Chicago rounded out a worldwide promotional tour, which included stops in Germany, Japan and China.
The shoe itself features adidas’ Crazyquick outsole traction system, Three Stripes’ new SPRINTWEB technology, GEOFIT ankle support, and an improved molded SPRINTFRAME. You’ll also notice a line at the ankle, which is designed to split the shoe into two distinct parts. According to adidas, the back represents Rose’s style of play and the front is designed to reflect the Bulls point guard’s off-the-court style—a subject that was repeatedly driven home during Sunday's event.
“Chicago’s, like, a fashion city,” Rose told a group of reporters, “I’m from here, so I know what [they’re] going to say if I had an ugly shoe."
Rose, who hasn't played in an NBA game since injuring his knee more than 16 months ago, also addressed his recent claim that he's the best player in the NBA, "If you're [a] franchise player...[and] you don't believe you're the best player in the NBA, the owner should fire you...You should have that confidence where you want to be the best or you believe that you're the best."
Rose's declaration will be tested early on, with Chicago opening the '13-'14 NBA season against LeBron James and the Miami Heat on October 29.
The D Rose 4 releases October 10 and retails for $140. Peep the additional images for a look at the shoe's accompanying apparel line and shots from Sunday's event.
