Damian Lillard’s Love Of Boxing Inspired The New Adidas Dame 8s

Damian Lillard is one of the faces of adidas‘ roster of NBA players. The Portland Trail Blazers star who is known for coming up big on the court time after time is also on the list of basketball players who have a signature sneaker, and for years, the Dames have consistently been among adidas’ top sellers.

On Wednesday, adidas announced that the Dame 8 will hit stores and online retailers starting on Dec. 19. According to a release, Lillard, who uses boxing as a way to work out and is a well-documented fan of the sport, turned to boxing as a source of inspiration while designing the kicks.

“This shoe is special to me because it reflects a boxer’s mindset – working hard every single day, putting in the extra hours during training and bringing the heat right down to the last second of every game,” Lillard said.

Lillard wore a pair of the sneakers — the Respect My Name colorway — during the Blazers’ game against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.

That colorway, along a gray and teal variation of the 4th QTR K.O. colorway and the Dame Time colorway, will come sometime in 2022. But the first pair to drop are the bold purple and electric yellow 4th QTR K.O.s, which will release next week for $120.