The Adidas Nations’ basketball tournament held next week in Dallas, Texas will feature the top under-18 year old basketball players in the world. They will play in exhibition games in tournament style whilst guided by NBA veterans. Each player will be wearing the Adidas TS Commander LT in Black/White/Metallic gold colorway. Adidas has made 200 pairs of these shoes available to the public only through Eastbay. With that being said, they are available now in a full size run on Eastbay’s website. With limited availability anyone interested should act fast.

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For the third year in a row, Philly-based lifestyle clothing troupe UNDRCRWN linked up with adidas REMIX to creatively reinvigorate the Three Stripes most coveted high-performance hoop product. In past years, the collaboration has yielded a five-shoe African- inspired “It Takes 5ive” campaign and shamelessly bold, iridescent version (Appropriately titled the “Just Ice Lightswitch Low”–Thanks K!) of the TS Lightswitch Low. For 2008-09, the partnership is coupling ‘Crwn’s “Brand for Champions” motif with Adi’s Team Signature Create & Command Series to create three shoes befitting the winners of the world. Specifically, the companies reworked the TS Commander Mid, TS Creator Mid, and TS Creator Low. I recently got the chance to sit down with folks from both camps and receive a behind-the-scenes look at the production and inspiration behind each model. Read on…

Going into the interview, I was interested in learning more about how each shoe was produced. With the atypical materials, concepts and marketing involved, I figured ongoing circumspection was necessary to properly execute such a unique project. Brian from the adidas Portland offices explains, “The original concepts for the shoes start 18 months out.” From there, changes in materials are meted out by the brand’s marketing department and Undrcrwn. UNDRCRWN founder and head designer Dustin Canalin explains, “It’s hard to market sometimes because the shoes are always being changed. But that’s the great thing about our projects with adidas—they keep us involved in every step of the process.”

With a skilled production squad backing the project, the brands centralized their efforts on developing product that was reflective of a “winning” attitude on and off the courts. UNDRCRWN Public Relations Manager Tracy Royal explains via stock e-mail, “UNDRCRWN is the Brand for Champions. When you win and nobody believes you could do it; that is what UNDRCRWN stands for.” Each shoe in the series employs a different approach in evoking a feeling of victory.

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On Tuesday November 4, 2008, the world will change forever. (I would say nation, but America always seems to be getting into some global skirmish or another.) Prominent politicians John McCain and Barack Obama will square off in the political arena, vying for the spot as top diplomatic dog in our wonderful nation; on the hardwood, behemoth ballplayers Tracy McGrady and Kevin Garnett will be battling it out in a game that will probably be nothing more than meaningless fodder. At least they’ll be playing in some righteous kicks.

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