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words // Nick DePaula
interview // Matt Halfhill
images // Ray Polanco
It’s been one hell of a fall for James Harden. On the court, he’s shifted positions to point guard, and is playing the best hoop of his life. The footwork through the paint, herky jerky stepbacks and contorting finishes at the rim are all still there, but his expanded game has now extended to dominance across the entire court.
He’s finding teammates like never before, a threat by every definition of the word all over the hardwood. He’s posting insane numbers on a nightly basis, averaging 28 points, nearly 12 assists and 7.5 rebounds an outing. Most importantly, Houston is winning.
All of that damage has come in his very first signature shoe with adidas, the first of many Volumes that’s been anticipated ever since he signed his landmark 13-year endorsement deal with the brand last fall. For the launch of his key Rockets-based colorway — a high contrast black and white look that equally stands out on prime-time TV on-court or casually in the streets — Harden and Nice Kicks teamed up for an event this past Saturday at our Downtown LA location.
Nice Kicks founder Matt Halfhill caught up with James just before the festivities began, as Harden touched on his love of Boost, the process of working on his first shoe and his excitement for his revamped Rockets team.
Matt Halfhill: What’s it like to get to this point where your first signature shoe is launching?
James Harden: It’s just a great feeling. Just knowing the time that we’ve put in, between emails, FaceTimes and meetings with the adidas team flying in, it’s been a long process, but not a lot of people get that opportunity to design and create their own shoe. For me, it’s a dream come true, and I’m excited.
MH: When you signed the deal in 2015, what were some of the big picture things that you knew right away you wanted for your first shoe?
JH: I knew that I’d have a voice and I’d have an opinion and could be myself. I could be the leader that I am and the creator that I am. Adidas has done an unbelievable job of allowing me to be that person, and it’s showing.
MH: Adidas has really driven hard on the “Creator” tagline and celebrating that. How does that fit into your brand as James Harden?
JH: It’s easy. I’m a creator on and off the court. People follow me and it meshed well and made sense.
MH: On the shoe, there’s a real contrast between the toe cap and the heel, which really stands out on the court. It also looks good in solid colors like the olive suede one. Were there any particular textures or materials that you wanted to see on the toe?
JH: Whatever looks good. That was another difference though. From far away, you can tell my shoe apart from any other shoe. That’s another reason why I love my shoe so much. The leather front, the asymmetrical laces and the details with my mom and grandma’s birthdates on the back of the shoe, those details mean everything to me.
MH: You had heel Boost on the first two Crazy Lights that you wore last season. What’s it like having full-length Boost now for the Harden 1?
JH: Best feeling ever! If you got a pair of Boost shoes to walk in, you know how comfortable they are. So imagine those shoes on a basketball court. Hopefully they help your game be a lot better.
MH: Both Brian Foresta and Corey Allen grew some pretty serious beards while working on your shoe. Was that something you required of them, or did you at least tease them a bit?
JH: [laughs] They were working so hard, I guess they wanted to be down. [laughs] Those are my guys. They’ve been working extremely hard for me, and I appreciate them so much.
MH: After last season, what was the feeling of motivation like, knowing that there was a lot of pressure on both the team’s success, and with this fall leading into the launch of your first shoe?
JH: Pressure, what’s that? [laughs] I don’t know what that is. New team, new coaching staff, and last year, the vibe just wasn’t good for anybody. I’m just happy that we got guys that work hard, know their roles and just want to win. It makes me look better and makes them look better.
MH: What are some of your favorite moments so far this season?
JH: Seeing my teammates be excited and happy to be on the court. We’re smiling, hanging out, laughing and battling together. We argue and fight, but I love being around those guys.
MH: When we were out at the Houston launch event, you had a lot of great artists that performed. What would say are three of your favorite albums so far this year?
JH: Birds in the Trap by Travis Scott and Red Friday by YG. Those are the two that I’m playing all the time.
MH: We’re out in LA right now, so who are some of the most influential people that you had around you growing up?
JH: My mom, of course. Then, my family friends and everyone that helped me get to where I am today. It’s been a long process, but it’s been a great process. It’s been a lot of fun and a lot of hard work. A lot of bad, but a lot of good too overall through the years.
MH: Adidas has worked with a lot of fashion designers and brands on some of the capsules they’ve launched. Are there any artists or designers you’d like to work with?
JH: There are a few. You’ve got Pharrell, Rick Owens, Y-3 and Kanye. You’ve got so many guys that adidas is behind, and it just makes it a lot easier for me. All I gotta do is go out there and hoop. Hopefully we can pick up something together where the fashion and hoops can come together and design something crazy.
