ESPN & Adidas Collaborate on Retro Basketball Sneaker

ESPN finally gets its own basketball sneaker as part of a rare collaboration with adidas.

Sports Illustrated aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.

Multiple generations of sports fans had an appointment television relationship with ESPN. The revolutionary television channel was somehow both anti-establishment and an institution. 

Before streaming, ESPN's iconic "da da da, da da da" theme song acted as a clarion call. Personalities like Stuart Scott shaped our opinions and molded pop culture. Now, the legacy sports brand is entering the sneaker industry as part of a rare collaboration with adidas. 

In a spectacular fusion of 1990s nostalgia, sports culture, and iconic sneaker design, ESPN and adidas are dropping the ESPN Top Ten 2000 in a tribute to the golden era of basketball and the pinnacle of sports commentary for the final stretch of the basketball season.

ESPN x adidas Top Ten 2000

The ESPN x adidas Top Ten 2000 / ESPN

The shoe is a reimagined version of the adidas Top Ten 2000 that originally launched in 1996. The ESPN x adidas Top Ten 2000 will launch in limited numbers on Friday, March 15. Online shoppers can purchase the retro hoop shoes for $150 in adult sizes on the adidas website.

The colorway features red stripes inspired by ESPN's "breaking news ticker tape," sapphire in celebration of ESPN's upcoming 45th anniversary. Meanwhile, the gold embroidery highlights the golden era of basketball and the crop of future legends who would shape the game forever.

"This collaboration aims to inspire a new generation of basketball fans," said Seth Ader, Vice President of Brand Marketing at ESPN. "This shoe commemorates a golden era in basketball and pays homage to the synergy between adidas and ESPN, two iconic brands that continue to shape the worlds of sports and culture."

Adidas x FoG Collab Offers Dreary Vision of College Hoops