Gallery: Introducing the adidas Crazy Light
On the eve of the 2011 NBA Playoffs, adidas took advantage of the national spotlight on hoops to introduce the adiZero Crazy Light.
Billed as the lightest shoe in basketball (9.8 ounces), adidas let the media hear about the Crazy Light, see the Crazy Light and even test the Crazy Light.
What We Heard
With sneakerhead/basketballhead/hip-hophead Bobbito Garcia serving as moderator, a panel of three went through a scripted press conference—streamed live on Facebook—breaking down why this sneak was the latest, greatest kick. While it probably sounded better with TV screens flashing fancy commercials and images in the background, here is the downlow on the Crazy Light’s construction.
SPRINTWEB – Revolutionary new exoskeleton system is less than 1mm thick and seamlessly bonded to a nylon textile base to significantly reduce weight and provide increased support. The web layout of the materials provides vertical and horizontal strength to give maximum support.
The SPRINTFRAME external heel counter and TORSION SYSTEM are bonded together to allow for maximum weight reduction, energy return and motion control.
BOUNCE construction stitches the upper directly to the tooling to save weight and cut down on extra material needed for bonding.
The upper is made with translucent nylon to further decrease weight and gives players nearly 360 degrees of ventilated comfort.
The footbed is comprised of specialized foam to provide lightweight comfort around the collar while minimizing heat build up.
Injected toe cap provides toe drag protection and maintains forefoot volume.
Outsole 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.
New traction pattern offers a multi-level cross section that increases surface area and limits dust build up for indoor players.
Features longitudinal grooves in the heel and forefoot to provide support during extreme forefoot cuts.
Asymmetrical midsole layout aligns with internal I beams to reduce rollover and help players adapt and adjust to playing surfaces.
What We Saw
With the conference set up in the gym of a brand new building near Times Square, adidas had banners and sneaks galore set up in every obvious and not-so-obvious location. Just in case the bombardment on the media’s vision didn’t get the point across—the point being that the Crazy Light is aesthetically pleasing—flash drives were handed out with a folder full of images already uploaded on them. If you scroll to the bottom of this post, you’ll find a nice menagerie of Crazy Light images.
What We Felt
After the explanatory press conference (where we didn’t learn that the Crazy Light was named such because the test group of kids kept saying, “this is crazy light.” We found that tidbit out a bit later.), we were politely guided to personalized gym bags containing a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and sharp blue Crazy Lights. After changing into the fresh gear, we took to the court. Game on.
While playing 2-on-2, 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 for around an hour wasn’t enough time to gauge the kicks in-depth, it was enough to realize that the Crazy Light is, well, crazy light. It’s also comfortable, stable and offers solid ankle-protection.While the jury’s out on the durability of the shoe—possibly due to its lightweight, the Crazy Light looks pretty flimsy and will take hours of ball for me to be convinced it’ll hold up over the long haul—its playability level is pretty high.
Available for public consumption in four colorways on June 3rd, the adiZero Crazy Light will lighten your wallet by $130.
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