It’s Game Time for the adidas Dame 8 '4th Quarter KO'

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard is extending his long-running signature sneaker series with adidas by launching the Dame 8 this week. Aside from an incremental improvement to the model, there is also a new environmental consideration to its design.

Instead of aiming for a radical remake of the Dame silhouette, the new entry in the eponymous shoe opts for a refinement of effective elements from previous editions. The mid-cut height is an integral part of Lillard’s preferences, as is the need for a lightweight upper. This is ensured via mesh uppers and supportive welded panels, which this time is made from about 50 per cent recycled materials – a first for performance basketball shoes, especially at the highest level of the game. Underfoot, the midsoles have been updated with basketball-specific Bounce Pro foam compounds paired to a slightly updated outsole pattern taken from the Dame 7.

‘This shoe is special to me because it reflects a boxer’s mindset – working hard every single day, putting in the extra hours during training and bringing the heat right down to the last second of every game,’ said Lillard on his new sneaker.

This new neon yellow and purple colourway, nicknamed ‘4th Quarter KO’, will land at adidas on December 19. As this is Lillard’s new signature, expect to see many more colourways coming in 2022.