Adidas Harden Vol. 1 'Cactus Kid'
Colorway: Core Black/Easy Green/Energy · Style code: BW1573 · Release date: July 8, 2017 · Price: $250 · Availability: Available now
More colorways: Adidas Harden Vol. 1 'Disruptor' (BW0552) · Adidas Harden Vol. 1 'MVP' (AC8107) · Adidas Harden Vol. 1 'Rockets' (CQ1404) · Adidas Harden Vol. 1 'CNY' (AH2117) · adidas Harden Vol. 1 'Pioneer' (LC5090)
James Harden's first signature shoe with adidas arrived at the end of 2016, led by Brian Foresta, the brand's vice president of basketball design. The Vol. 1 was built around full-length Boost, a modified version of the setup adidas had used on the Crazy Light Boost, wrapped in Primeknit with tumbled leather laid over the toe, a direct response to Harden telling designers that other players kept stepping on his feet. The lacing runs asymmetrically across the instep, and adidas mapped the outsole traction pattern using Aramis, a motion measurement system, against Harden's own foot.
Cactus Kid looks past the NBA to Arizona State, where Harden played two seasons before the draft. The palette takes the turquoise and orange of Sonoran desert imagery rather than any team uniform, set against a black mesh base, and a cactus graphic printed on the sockliner makes the reference explicit. Gold detailing runs through the eyelets. It reached shelves in July 2017 at 140 dollars, the price the line launched at.