words // Brandon Richard
When Iman Shumpert returned to the court in January, we were excited for two reasons. One, he's a great young player and we're all happy to see him recover from last season's injury. Two, because we knew he'd be extremely exciting to cover in this year's sneaker watch.
Out of the gate, Shump didn't disappoint. He returned in the Knicks' London game wearing the "Bright Lights, Big City" adidas Top Ten 2000 and made headlines a week later when he laced up Jeremy Scott's wild Originals Streetball model. That was just the beginning.
Over the last four months, Iman has rocked 9 different adidas models in more than 20 different colorways. Player Exclusives? Check. Modern performance? Check. Retro? Check. Customs? Check. He even broke his vow to never wear Derrick Rose's signature kicks last week when he played in "The Bean" Rose 3 Low. Josh Smith was great this past season, as was Damian Lillard. However, if you're singling out a Sneaker Watch All-Star for adidas Basketball, it was hands down Shumpert.
Iman may not yet be a signature athlete, but he is a charismatic player in a huge market that loves wearing adidas. If you needed confirmation, the 3-Stripes logo he had shaved into the back of his trademark high-top fade last month should suffice. Shumpert co-starring in the latest Originals adiColor campaign showed us that adidas is equally committed to him. What's next for this fun partnership? We can't wait to find out.
Enjoy a look back at Iman's impressive 2012-2013 sneaker rotation and let us know which pair(s) stand out the most.
adidas Top Ten 2000 "2WO 1NE"
adidas Top Ten 2000 "South Beach"
adidas Top Ten 2000 "Rivalry Pack"
adidas Top Ten 2000 "Nightmare"
adidas Top Ten 2000 "Bright Lights, Big City"
adidas Top Ten 2000 "Blackout"
Top Ten 2000 Indigo/White
adidas Top Ten 2000 Vivid Green
adidas TMAC 1 Blue/Grey
adidas TMAC 1 Black/Blue
adidas Real Deal "93 Pack"
adidas Real Deal Light Grey/Prime Blue
adidas Real Deal Soleswap Custom
adidas Crazy Fast PE
adidas Crazy 8 Blue/White/Black
adidas Crazy 8 Black/White
adidas Rose 3 Low "The Bean"
adidas Crazyquick Blue/White/Black
adidas Originals JS Instinct Hi
adidas Originals JS Streetball
Close-Up // Iman Shumpert wearing adidas Originals Streetball