Kobe Bryant’s adidas Crazy 97 EQT “All-Star 1997” Releases July 22

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Back in the middle of the year, Brendon Dunne of Complex revealed that adidas will re-release two sneakers that the late Kobe Bryant wore during his days signed with the German sportswear brand through the late 1990s and early 2000s. Amongst those announced were the bulky Audi TT-inspired Kobe 1, his signature sneaker from 2001, and the EQT Elevation, a shoe he wore during his 1997 NBA rookie season. Like previous retro runs of the models, again it appears that there will be no official link to the Bryant estate, given that the pairs will release under the assumed names of the Crazy 1 and Crazy 97 EQT.

The first effort to release will likely be the EQT Elevation/Crazy 97 EQT with two options in February for All-Star Weekend, including the return of the Lakers Purple and Gold colorway, a sneaker that Kobe wore during his 1997 Dunk Contest win, as well as a brand-new blue and orange option inspired by the 1997 NBA All-Star Game’s court and ticket stub. The latter two serve up some extra significance to next year’s event: The 1997 All-Star Game was held in Cleveland, with 2022’s All-Star Game also taking place in the city. Now, after months of waiting, official images for the latter have surfaced.

Set mostly in black and silver to mimic the epic graphic ticket stub from the event (pictured above) the pair is then popped with the All-Star Game logo hues of blue and orange that honor the retro Cavs uniforms. There’s a Crazy-faced hologram at the ankle in orange, and special glitter outsoles, too. Direct callouts to the game are served up on the pulls and insoles to complete the design.

Update 07.16.22

A release date for the adidas Crazy 97 EQT “All-Star 1997” has been confirmed for July 22nd, with pairs set to release here on END. A wider adidas.com and retailer release has not yet been confirmed.

As always, keep your eyes glued to our official Twitter account for further updates.