adidas Hoops Celebrate 14th Century Folklore with Upcoming “5 Generals” Collection

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The Chinese have a penchant for blending facts and fiction to create mythical folklore that blends itself seamlessly into their culture. From heartfelt stories that form the basis of the Qixi Festival to romanticized legends of war, the Chinese leave no subject or theme unexplored. One of the biggest fables in the nation’s history lies within the Romance of the Three Kingdoms — a 14th Century historical novel that focuses on the Five Tiger Generals, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, Ma Chao, and Zhao Yun, who serve their people under one lord. The novel is among the most beloved works of literature in East Asia, and its literary influence in the region has been compared to that of the works of Shakespeare on English literature — and now engrains itself into modern-day culture further with a special five-piece “5 Generals” pack from adidas Basketball. Each general’s traditional armour and respective motif is represented on its own sneaker; The D Rose 10 honors Guan Yu, the T-Mac 1 tribute Zhang Fei and the DON Issue 1 recognizes Zhao Yun. The remaining two pairs from the pack are yet to be identified, but will likely link into the Harden Vol. 4 and the Dame 6.

Pairs are scheduled to arrive in Asia this month, and will likely remain exclusive to the region — but should a Stateside release be on the cards, we’ll be sure to keep you in the loop over on our official Twitter account. Until then, take a look at the D Rose 10, T-Mac 1 and DON Issue 1 “5 Generals” in detail below.