Revisiting history, the adidas Jabbar is being reissued in its Low and Hi versions. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Skyhook shot. True Greatness. Twenty seasons playing in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers, the superstar set record after record. Voted the second-best player of all time behind Michael Jordan and the best Center of all time, he went on to a varied career off the court.
But while on the court, the 70s saw a resurgence of brands attempting to increase their presence in sporting markets, in arenas where crowds were growing. Signing the next superstar to wear your brand's shoe became the most important thing. The first basketball player adidas ever signed was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This signing was an astute business decision from The Brand With Three Stripes. In 1972, they introduced the Abdul-Jabbar. Known by a few names due to different marketing, including Superstar 2, Skyhook Shoes, Jabbar, and KAJ, adidas designed this silhouette with Kareem's input.
Now christened simply Jabbar, the silhouette remains true to its original design over half a century ago. The Low iteration appears with stunning off-white leather used to construct the upper, with collegiate blue hues for the stripes and heel. The distinctive toe area features a small wrap-around panel of nubuck. The cream-white sole unit completes the retro appearance, with the tongue crafted from off-white leather, proudly boasting a gold decal bearing Kareem's endorsement.
The Hi version also features an upper primarily made of off-white leather. Again, collegiate blue stripes contrast to give a clean and simple aesthetic. The heel is also collegiate blue, encasing the ankle, with a white heel counter that denotes adidas Trefoil branding. The tongue is finished in more off-white leather, with Kareem's endorsement in blue.
The adidas Jabbar Off White Collegiate Royal Pack is set to release on October 18, 2024, through adidas, the CONFIRMED app, and select retailers in-store and online. Coming in men's sizing, retail is set at $110 for the Hi and $100 for the Low. Download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Images via adidas
adidas Jabbar Low Off White Collegiate Royal
adidas Jabbar Hi Off White Collegiate Royal
In this article
Craig Bell happily talks about sneakers or as he calls them "trainers" every day of the year. An avid Bradford City fan, he's also a big supporter of the Philadelphia Eagles. He will forever profess that Cricket is better than Baseball and that Rugby League is better then Rugby Union. Among his many hot takes, he believes the adidas ZX range is the pinnacle of sneaker design.
