Kansas, adidas Celebrate Hawaiian Landscape, Culture With Exclusive Teamwear in Maui
Nov. 20, 2011
LAWRENCE, Kan. – adidas and the Kansas men’s basketball team Monday will unveil a line of Hawaiian-inspired basketball footwear and apparel to celebrate championship-round play at the 2011 Maui Invitational.
The Jayhawks face Georgetown Monday at 11 p.m. Central time on ESPN2.
The apparel features a shooting shirt with an exclusive Hawaiian-themed logo; the lightest basketball shoe ever, the adiZero Crazy Light, and the iconic Crazy 8 basketball shoe, all in a sharp blue colorway that pays homage to Maui’s tropical waters.
adidas worked closely with local artist Che Pilago of Moku Nui apparel to create a Hawaiian-inspired contemporary logo for the Maui edition college exclusive shooting shirts. At the center of the graphic represents Ku, the Hawaiian God of war, also connecting to an athlete warrior mindset. Above Ku, the parallel half circles signify striving and pushing to achieve one’s goals, while the braided ropes on either side represent teamwork and unity. The overall triangle design represents gaining strength from the islands. This contemporary adaptation honors the Hawaiian roots of the Maui Invitational.
“We are excited to have our team playing in one of the most prestigious early season tournaments and to wear the best of adidas basketball performance technology in a way that honors the Hawaiian culture and the island setting,” said KU trademark licensing director Paul Vander Tuig.
Michigan, UCLA, Tennessee and host school Chaminade also will wear adidas Maui apparel during the tournament.
“We wanted to celebrate this tournament by showcasing adidas Basketball performance and style in a way that recognized the island’s culture and tradition,” said Robert Capener, director of basketball for adidas America. “We are excited to have five great college programs show-off our product in a way totally unique to Hawaii.”
The adiZero Crazy Light is available now for $130 at Foot Locker, Eastbay and shopadidas.com.
