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Last season, Derrick Rose made the tough decision to rest up and return at full strength for the 2013-14 start. Revitalized and rejuvenated, the Chicago Bulls point guard is back and ready to lead his team and inspire his city. He’ll do both in the new adidas D Rose 4. Designed for his explosive game and denoted by his signature logo, the silo marks a new chapter in the MVP award winner’s career. We caught up with Derrick Rose to discuss his new shoes, playing for his city and what to expect this season.
Nice Kicks: How excited are you to get back out there?
Derrick Rose: I’m excited. I’m really excited just to be back on the court. For me to actually launch my shoe and play in it days after is a great feeling.
Nice Kicks: Sitting out last season, what was it like seeing your signature shoe represented by your peers in the NBA and college game?
Derrick Rose: It was a great feeling. Indiana University wore it, so did Baylor and some kids on Wisconsin. Just to see that movement and seeing how far I came – I remember not even having a signature shoe. For this being my fourth model, it’s a blessing to be in the position that I’m in and I’m just trying to take full advantage of it. It’s a movement right now. I’ve got a little following right now, but it’s slowly getting bigger. My partner adidas and I are moving in the right direction where both of us are really trying to compete for that number one spot.
Nice Kicks: Conversely, what’s it like seeing fans wear your shoes?
Derrick Rose: It’s unreal. When I was younger, I wasn’t able to afford two pair of shoes, so the shoes I played in were the same shoes I wore to school. For me, I wanted to have the same thing so that kids dealing with poverty could have a nice product that you could wear to the club, you could wear to a meeting, just any environment anywhere, and you could still go out there and play in it. And it’s a great shoe with premium materials. I think we’re moving in the right direction.
Nice Kicks: What input do you put into your signature shoe line?
Derrick Rose: I talk to the team at adidas almost every other month about things that change in my life – new things that I like and new things that I dislike – and they actually put that into the shoe. Then, the shoes that they come up with they give to me as a [sample] and I tell them the things that I don’t like and they come back a month later with everything the exact way that I want it. All the shoes that come out are actually the shoes that I wanted out.
