James Harden’s tenth adidas signature shoe has a China-exclusive colorway, listed by adidas as Blessing Powder, Laser Blue, and Purple.
Most of the upper is a glossy purple shell with molded ripple lines running from the toe through the sidewall, so the finish shifts between lavender, violet, and a deeper blue-purple depending on the angle. Black covers the tongue, laces, inner bootie, and collar, which keeps the top of the shoe darker than the shell below it. Small Laser Blue hits sit near the forefoot and heel, and the sole stays purple to keep the blocking consistent underfoot.
Harden’s signature line started in 2016 and has outlasted most of its contemporaries, which is not nothing for a guard whose game is built on deceleration rather than explosion. Ten shoes deep, it has become one of the steadier pieces of adidas basketball, a category the brand has spent the last few years rebuilding around Anthony Edwards and a short list of holdovers.
Making this one China-exclusive tracks with how adidas has handled the line lately. The Chinese market has carried a meaningful share of Harden’s signature volume for years, and region-locked colorways are a way to serve that demand without crowding the global calendar. That shows adidas still sees Harden as a business worth running two calendars for, even as the attention around the line has cooled in the States.
Release details: $160. Available now. Style code LA5918.
Where to buy: adidas and select retailers in China, in store and online.
More adidas coverage is here.
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