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James Harden Makes NBA History in Adidas Harden Vol. 8

James Harden wore the adidas Harden Vol. 8 during his historic performance.

Pat Benson

Dec 1, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; The shoes of Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) pictured at Intuit Dome.
Dec 1, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; The shoes of Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) pictured at Intuit Dome. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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Ten-time NBA All-Star James Harden is known for drawing contact and getting to the free-throw line to complete old-fashioned three-point plays. However, Harden is just as efficient behind the arc.

On Sunday night, the LA Clippers defeated the Denver Nuggets 126-122. Harden pulled out a vintage performance with 39 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds. Even better, Harden made history by hitting his 3,000th career 3-pointer.

Harden joined Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry as the only other player in league history to reach the milestone. Knowing the big moment was imminent, adidas cooked up an unreleased colorway of Harden's eighth signature sneaker for the historic night.

On his big night, "The Beard" wore the adidas Harden Vol. 8 in an unreleased colorway that sported a hot pink upper and neon yellow print on the sides of the sneakers.

The adidas Harden Vol. 8 launched in January 2024 for $160 in adult sizes. Athletes and fans can choose from several colorways of the hoop shoes on the adidas website, Foot Locker, and other select retailers.

Currently, there is no release information for the colorway Harden wore last night. In fact, Harden's ninth signature sneaker is expected to launch in February 2025. Fans got their first look at three colorways of the futuristic basketball shoe earlier this fall.

After starting his career with Nike, Harden switched to adidas during his rise to stardom with the Houston Rockets. Harden signed a 13-year, $200 million contract with adidas in 2015. Harden has the second-longest running sneaker line with the brand behind Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard.

It is harder than ever for basketball shoes to be worn off the court, but Harden continues to defy the trends just like he sets his own fashion trends. Fans can expect another exciting year from adidas and Harden.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Kicks On Sports Illustrated. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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