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In a world of retros and reimagined classics, Jerry Lorenzo is chasing something different: the emotion of opening your first pair of Air Jordans. “I’m trying to bring the emotion that I felt then in high school,” Lorenzo says, reflecting on that pivotal moment. “Something about opening a new idea that just feels like a Christmas present that, in the end, quite simply, does exactly what it was designed and intended to do.”
This December, that vision materializes with the Fear of God Athletics II Basketball sneaker, debuting through the Fear of God Overtime Elite team. But the journey to this launch spans four years of development, with the last two focused intensely on this specific silhouette.
Breaking the Mold
“It took us four years to get here,” reveals Shane Ward, Design Director at adidas. “We’ve finally landed on a high-performance product inside the codes of luxury and sensibility and details of Fear of God and the adidas engine for the first time.”
The process wasn’t conventional. Ward and his team created what they called a “workstream” – essentially a small business unit within adidas dedicated to achieving Lorenzo’s vision. This group of cross-functional partners, from design to tooling engineering, met weekly to solve a singular challenge: merging performance and shape in a way that hadn’t been done before.
“You have to listen. You have to collaborate. You have to compromise, especially on our side, because Jerry and his vision, he’s not going to compromise and he shouldn’t,” Ward explains. “That’s why we’re partnering with him because he needs to push us into different spaces.”
Beyond the Hype
Lorenzo isn’t chasing quick wins. “I was never a big Sneakerhead. I’m still not,” he admits. “I just wanted a pair of Jordans in high school. I would save up my money… It wasn’t about waiting in line for a cool release or something coming back out.”
This perspective shaped the Athletics II’s development. The shoe features a breathable mesh base, TPU cage for support, and a radial tread pattern for superior grip – all wrapped in Lorenzo’s signature aesthetic. Available in both high-top and mid-cut versions, the debut “Night Brown” colorway showcases subtle Three Stripes paneling and a semi-translucent midsole.
The Process
“Real design starts when you get into 3D,” Ward emphasizes. “A lot of design happens in 2D, beautiful renderings, but you start sculpting and shaping the vision once you have a prototype in your hand.”
This philosophy led to countless iterations over the two-year development period. The team would regularly gather around prototypes, asking themselves if they’d achieved their goal. As Ward explains, “If all of us can sit down at any stage of the process and say, ‘Is that the answer? Is there something better?’ And the answer is no… Then that’s when we know it’s done.”
Breaking Through
“It’s very hard to come up with a new idea,” Lorenzo acknowledges. “Every new idea requires some education, every new idea requires some getting to know it… I think there are a lot of people that are scared of that educational moment.”
The shoe has already found its way to the NBA hardwood through Lakers guard Gabe Vincent, who’s been consistently playing in them. For Lorenzo, this organic adoption speaks volumes: “When Gabe wore them, it was cool, but, game two, it didn’t matter to me. Game three, game four, he’d been playing in them every night… To watch that unfold, even for me, it was just a blessing. I’ve had some one-game hits before, but I need something we can go back to.”
Looking Forward
As basketball sneakers begin trending back toward lifestyle wear, the Athletics II seems perfectly timed. Ward sees it as filling a crucial gap: “The basketball category ecosystem has become almost one note… There’s not a lot of basketball shoes that kids are wearing outside of that, and there’s a reason for it.”
For Lorenzo and his team, success isn’t measured in immediate hype or social media reactions. “Time will tell you if it’s a classic,” Lorenzo states. “We got years to go before you dictate whether that’s hot or not… I’m trying to answer a call that I feel like is on my life.”
The Fear of God Athletics II Basketball sneaker launches December 6, 2024, marking not just a new sneaker release, but potentially a new chapter in basketball footwear’s relationship with style, performance, and emotion.
