Adidas’ presence in basketball isn’t as dominating as it is in other footwear categories, such as lifestyle and running. But you wouldn’t know that from its 747 Warehouse Street activation in Los Angeles during NBA All-Star Weekend.
Open today and tomorrow is the athletic brand’s event space that celebrates basketball and its broader culture. The location, according to Adidas, unites people who are “passionate about sport, music, design, innovation and sneakers.” (Think a theme park for sneaker and streetwear fanatics.)
For those looking to buy new kicks, there are several product drops exclusive to the event to choose from including the Futurecraft 4D 2.0 in white, the Ultra Boost Mid x Parley, the Harden Vol. 2, the Y-3 BYW BBall, the the Dame 4 x Bape colorways, and three SpeedFactory silhouettes (AM4 London, AM4747 and AM4 Paris).
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To ensure fairness, the brand is employing a new way to buy the sneakers — a RFID raffle system. After scanning the chip on the product-specific raffle beacon, the user will be alerted if they won the raffle to buy the kicks. The RFID wristband will send SMS alerts that will give updated drop times and raffle results.
The Warehouse itself is the highlight of the experience. (It was tough getting media members out of the building during today’s preview.) Inside the building are many compelling and engaging stations, including a history lesson in the EQT, a glimpse of how machines work to make sneakers in the SpeedFactory, insight on how Futurecraft 4D footwear is made, and a look at the NBA sta James Harden’s new Harden Vol. 2 sneaker and the Y-3 basketball-inspired line.
The activation features the first-ever Brooklyn Creator Farm Pop-Up, an invite-only experience where people can not only learn the footwear making process, but can also make their own one-of-a-kind shoe, choosing from both Adidas’ performance and lifestyle elements. (If you’ve ever imagined pairing a basketball sneaker upper with a Futurecraft 4D outsole, it can be done here.)
Also at 747 is the Sound Lab, which will give local musicians the ability to showcase work and have it critiqued by renowned artists including Pusha T, A-Trak and more.
And fans of the three stripes who visit the space will also see several atypical and eye-catching basketball courts, including a NMD-inspired one executed with bold colors created by musician and designer Pharrell Williams, which will feature a full-court matchup of Snoop Dogg’s West Coast team and a 2 Chainz-led East Coast lineup as well as 10 local high schools that will battle.
For the concertgoer, 747 Warehouse Street will host several performances over the two days from today’s top artists including French Montana, Kitty Cash, N.E.R.D. and others.
Through the Adidas App, people who attend can create their own 747 Warehouse Street experience by keeping informed of the events, sneaker releases and more. And for those who cannot attend, Adidas will have a live stream going that can be viewed at adidas.com/us/747WarehouseSt.
