adidas Unveils Damian Lillard's Signature Dame 3

Ahead of tonight’s Western Conference showdown with Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder, adidas and Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard have taken the wraps off of Lillard’s third signature shoe with the Three Stripes: the Dame 3. A brand new design highlighted by the likes of a customizable lacing system, a TECHFIT bootie, and a fused mesh upper that’s not only lightweight and breathable, but supportive while ditching the usual need for break-in time, the Dame 3 comes with dual-density BOUNCE cushioning, and a simple geometric traction pattern that pays homage to the years he spent honing his lethal step-back jumper on milk crates as a kid. Wrapped TPU and an internal torsion plate provide a callback, too, and represent Lillard’s family support system. Said the Oakland native:

With this being my third shoe, it’s all about appreciation for the people that went out of their way so I’d be able to hoop growing up. There were a lot of things that happened where if I didn’t have a strong support system – it probably would’ve drowned me. But my family helped me rise up, and now I want to inspire and encourage everyone else to do the same thing.

In fact, the Dame 3 pays tribute to Lillard’s family and friends with a bevy of different details throughout:

- The initials of his mother and two grandmothers (Gina:Cecilia:Ruth) are molded onto the right toe while the initials of his father and grandfather (Houston:Albert) are showcased on the left

- The longitude (37.737 degrees north) and latitude (-122.188 degrees west) of Oakland’s Brookfield neighborhood are featured on the outrigger of the left and right foot, respectively

- 56316, the code displayed on the telephone pole in front his grandparents’ house where Dame learned to shoot on a milk crate, is featured on the center of the outsole

- “WEARING THE LETTER O” is printed on the left sockliner as tribute to both Dame’s pre-game introduction in Portland and his debut album titled “The Letter O,” signifying the three locations most important to his career – Oakland, Ogden and Oregon – printed on the right sockliner

The salutes even go a step further on the shoe’s debut colorway. Returning to Lillard’s early AAU days with the Oakland Rebels, the unique design’s releases kick off with an all-red “Roots” make-up as an homage to his tough but fair head coach, Raymond Young, “who created a path for Dame’s unrelenting attitude by challenging players to hold bricks in each hand when practicing their defensive stance.” The shoe’s “Triple Red” look not only recalls the Rebels’ signature colors, but brings to mind those aforementioned bricks, too.

The Dame 3 “Roots” launches December 14 for $115 USD at adidas Basketball spots and adidas.com while Rip City and Chinese New Year iterations of the shoe are set to follow in the weeks ahead.