“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.”

This is what Damian Lillard said about his latest adidas Dame 8 signature model and we can only add that the sneaker definitely supports this approach with its appearance and technology.

Everyone who is closely following his career and especially his line of sneakers knows that boxing is an important part of Lillard’s workouts during the off-season and also that as early as with the adidas Dame 5 there was already a colorway made for the ring:

With this year’s eights, boxing is obviously even more prominent, and something his boxing coach Cam Eren said is also very interesting: “Damian Lillard is not a basketball player – he’s a fighter who plays professional basketball.” Dame said in an older interview that this love for boxing began even before he started school. Specifically, his family used to watch important fights at home together with neighbors and friends, and even today he often comments on various fights on twitter, and not only on the biggest and most popular ones. Over time, his interest grew, so in 2014 he introduced boxing to his off-season training regime:

Of course, these practice sessions do not involve any intense fighting, but Lillard is convinced that boxing has helped him increase endurance, and also arm strength thus helping him easily make shots from positions that are unimaginable for most players. Unfortunately, this season injuries have diminished his performance and weakened the Blazers, but somehow we hope that his fighting mentality will bring him back to the court!

This will certainly happen in the new Dame 8 sneaker with which adidas brings us some interesting changes compared to last year’s sevens and the most important is the double Bounce Pro cushioning which is made to provide an ideal ratio of cushioning, support and energy return from each move. This return is further emphasized by the curved parts under the heel and toes, which also increases speed of movement. Even the design of the sneaker visually emphasizes speed with a “zigzag” stripe in the middle of the side parts of the upper.

Speaking of the upper, there were no major changes, which is a great thing because the mesh fabric is breathable, comfortable and provides great foot support. Minor changes can also be seen on the back part, where in addition to the internal padding cushions placed for ankle support, there is now a special cushion for the Achilles tendon. The changes are also visible on the sole, with an interesting wavy herringbone pattern that provided excellent control after initial testing.

The sneaker, as always, includes interesting details and branding, and we can’t wait for the variety of colorways, each of which will have its own messages and stories. Finally, we are particularly pleased that 25% of the upper includes recycled materials because sustainability is something we all need to think about, and we will soon have some interesting news on this topic.

Stay tuned!