Fear of God Returns to Adidas

Walk around any big city, on any day, and you will see a guy interested in fashion wearing an Essentials sweatshirt. The sub-brand from Fear of God, founded by Jerry Lorenzo, is the first word in accessible but premium streetwear, focusing on comfort and a stylish cut. Lorenzo’s best work is with his mainline Fear of God line, but Essentials provides a taste of it for those without the designer budget, as Polo does for fans of Ralph Lauren.Lorenzo has an excellent eye, so when he collaborates with another brand, it’s always a big deal. If you want to buy one of his high-end Nike basketball sneakers, the Nike Fear of God 1, you’re faced with resale stickers between $500 and $1000. And so, when Adidas announced that Lorenzo would be working with them on a long-term, expansive collaboration, working on apparel and footwear, people were excited.And then they waited. And waited. And little happened. Adidas shrank his role; some products were leaked; and when the first products released, the reception was underwhelming. The apparel was similar to Essentials but at far higher prices, with far worse sizing, and his first basketball sneaker, the Basketball 1, wasn’t great at Basketball.The Fear of God Athletics Basketball One. Courtesy of Ross AndersonI love the shoes and own two pairs — and have praised them in these pages — but that’s because I live in London, and the thick sole and nylon upper make them great for the cold. If you want to wear these on a summer court though, you’ll suffer; even Lorenzo has acknowledged that. They are designer sneakers styled to look like basketball sneakers. With the Basketball II, released last week, Lorenzo is trying to change that.They have a very similar look to the original shoes, with a translucent outsole, pointed upper — inspired by old football boots — the black Fear of God bar signature on the heel, and initially come in a dark brown and cream colorway. However, whereas the Basketball I were heavy and fundamentally simple, these are light and athletic.Adidas Fear of God Athletics Basketball II Low. Courtesy of AdidasThe upper is a blend of monofilament breathable panels reinforced with soft suede, and the midsole uses Adidas’s Lightstrike technology in addition to a TPU midsole. These also are available in the more popular low-top cut, in addition to an ankle-strapped mid-top, and are cheaper, at $180 for the low and $200 for the mid-top.Those are still a premium over other Adidas basketball sneakers – particularly their extremely popular AE1, with Anthony Edwards – but they also have a premium look that those don’t. It’s hard to imagine this line turning into a huge success; Fear of God Athletics, as their Adidas collaboration is known, will not be the new Yeezy. But it finally looks like a good on-court shoe, and I’m looking forward to buying and testing them when the all-white colorway releases.

Fear of God Returns to Adidas

Fear of God Returns to Adidas

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