Adidas unveils the lightest shoe in basketball
German sportswear brand adidas has unveiled the new ‘adiZero Crazy Light’, which it claims is the “lightest shoe in basketball”. At 227.8 grams, the adiZero Crazy Light sets a new standard for basketball footwear at more than 15% lighter than the nearest competitor, according to adidas.
“Lighter footwear makes you faster and speed dominates on the basketball court,” said Derrick Rose, two-time NBA All-Star of the top-seeded Chicago Bulls. “The adiZero Crazy Light is the lightest basketball shoe I've ever worn and it will no doubt make me faster on the court for our playoff run.”
Lawrence Norman, adidas vice president of Global Basketball, said: “No other basketball shoe compares to the new adiZero Crazy Light and it’s a shoe that will revolutionize the game. The ultra lightweight design is built for players who want to be faster, jump higher and perform better on the court.”
More than two years in the making, the adidas Innovation Team (aIT) and adidas Basketball Design developed the adiZero Crazy Light from the canvas of a bare foot. Only lightweight, highly flexible and durable materials were selected.
“We wanted to build the ultimate shoe for the ultimate basketball player, and research has clearly shown that a lighter shoe will provide better performance,” said Griff Wilson, senior developer, adidas Innovation Team. “The key is to provide the support and cushioning of a traditional basketball shoe in a super lightweight construction.”
The adiZero Crazy Light features a new ‘Sprintweb exoskeleton’ upper less than 1mm thick and seamlessly bonded to a nylon textile base to significantly reduce weight and provide increased support and strength. The web layout of the materials provides vertical and horizontal strength to give players optimum support for any cutting motion.
The ‘Sprintframe’ external heel counter and ‘Torsion System’ are bonded together to allow maximum weight reduction, energy return and motion control. Each lace eyelet is load bearing and has a corresponding web spar to support players during hard cuts. The upper is made with translucent nylon to further decrease weight.
The adiZero Crazy Light traction system has varied engineered thickness to ensure maximum grip in high wear perimeter zones, and less thickness and weight in low perimeter zones like the midfoot. It also features longitudinal grooves in the heel and forefoot to provide support during extreme forefoot cuts.
