Image via Complex Original
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Whether there's an NBA season or not is pretty much irrelevant at this point from a new sneaker standpoint. New signature joints have been designed, they've been produced, and they're coming out. Case in point — the adidas adiZero Rose 2, which hit shelves (or at least e-shelves) in the first two colorways today. And while the word "CANCELLED" on the tongue may hold more import now than it did when it was first conceived, the story is still worth telling. Let's get into it.
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1) SKETCHES AGAIN? REALLY? CAN WE TRY A MORE ORIGINAL OPENING NEXT TIME? What's wrong with sketches? They not only give you a truer sense of what the designer originally intended, but you can see things that changed — like the Three Stripes on the gore, or the weird lace cover. It gives a better sense of what went into the shoe. OK, OK, FINE.
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2) TWO SKETCHES, THOUGH? THERE BETTER NOT BE MORE. We'll see. YEAH WE WILL. This is more of a completed image, though. Other than the overall shape, it was pretty much the final design. You can see the influence of the Crazy Light in the SPRINTWEB and the outsole pattern. AMAZING. CAN WE GET TO THE ACTUAL SHOE NOW? Oh, OK, fine. HEY, THAT'S MY LINE.
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3) NOW THAT'S MORE LIKE IT. IS THE TOE PATENT? Yup. THAT'S NOT CRAZY LIGHT. Nope. Well, the Crazy Light was meant to be the lightest basketball shoe ever, so they had to cut weight wherever they could. Since the Rose 2 is a signature shoe, it needed some luxury touches. MAKES SENSE. And since Derrick was one of those guys who grew up with only one pair of sneakers at a time, he needed something to wear on and off the court — that toe had to look good with jeans. So the toebox of Rose's shoes will always look lux. Different colorways will utilize different materials.
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4) I SEE WHAT YOU MEAN — THAT CRACKLE FINISH LEATHER IS NICE. Yeah, it definitely pops — and contrasts well with the carbon-esque SPRINTWEB. You can see other little touches, too. If the whole goal was lightweight over everything, it's doubtful the nameplate would be on there. TRUE. And the stripes on the heel look to be a theme for Mr. Rose, as chances are it's all a defender will see. BUT WOULD A DEFENDER CARE WHAT SHOES HE WAS WEARING? Um, good question.
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5) THAT UPPER EYELET PIECE IS A NICE DETAIL. IS IT ON ELASTIC? Yup. Gotta have room for those ankle braces. OH YEAH, RIGHT. And it's funny — that detail was actually borrowed from a Y3 shoe, the Kazuhiri. So while the shoe was designed by Robbie Fuller, it's got a little Yohji Yamamoto touch. Adds to the luxury aspect.
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6) IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A LOWTOP. Is that a question? OK, SMART GUY. IS IT A LOWTOP? Not really. It's not a 3/4, though. Maybe a 1/2, or a 1/3. Regardless, you can tell from this angle how well-balanced the shoe is, how the angles complement each other. WHY A WHITE OUTSOLE? Why not? GOOD POINT.
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7) IS THAT THE SAME IMAGE AS THE LAST ONE? Nope, that's the medial side. Not much difference, huh? It just says "SPRINTWEB" instead of "adizero." OH YEAH. And it's just another look at the SPRINTFRAME, which is the composite chassis that makes up the heel counter and springplate.
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8) SO WHAT'S THE "ALL FLIGHTS CANCELLED" BUSINESS ABOUT? Well, when Robbie was designing the shoe, he ended up stranded in Europe because of that huge volcanic eruption. He happened to glance at the departures board, which was full of CANCELLED, and, voila. VOILA? Yeah, you know, like "EUREKA!" OH. That theme continues into the insole, where there are a bunch of NBA cities listed as "CANCELLED" and only Chicago is cleared. VERY CLEVER. Yes. DOES "ALL FLIGHTS CANCELLED" HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH NIKE FLIGHT, TOO? Um, no comment.
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9) WELL, THAT'S NOT HERRINGBONE. WHAT'S THAT PATTERN ALL ABOUT? It's a continuation of the volcano theme. Let Derrick tell it: "The bottom of the shoe is lava — think like a volcano. I just give adidas ideas and they just come up with these crazy type of shoes and their creations was one of these where they thought of my game as being like a volcano. The way it erupts and the way that I play how fast I am." MAKES SENSE. Yep.
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10) SO THAT'S IT? Pretty much. Like we said in the beginning, you can get the first two colors right now for $110 with more to come. And you already saw the first commercial. OH, I KNOW — WHAT ABOUT THE WEIGHT? ARE THEY LIGHTER? Yeah. The Roses have progressively gotten lighter — the Rose was 12.9 ounces, the 1.5 was 12.6 ounces, and the 2 is 12.4 ounces. SO THE ROSE 2.5 WILL BE HOW LIGHT? Sorry, I don't do math.
