Adidas Unveils Release of Damian Lillard’s Eighth Signature Shoe

Earlier today, Adidas confirmed the upcoming release of Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard’s eighth signature shoe, the Dame 8. As noted by Aron Yohannes of Oregon Live, the shoe pays tribute to Lillard’s boxer-like mentality with his training. In Lillard’s own words:

“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 has been an offensive star from the moment he entered the NBA in 2012-13, though he blossomed into more of a household name following his game-winning, series-ending shot in the 2014 NBA Playoffs. As a result, he has become the face of one of the NBA’s longest-running signature shoe series.

The eight-year run of consecutive shoes puts Lillard in rarefied air. He joins fellow Adidas players such as James Harden, Derrick Rose, Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young. Players such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant have been able to fulfill signature shoe endorsements on a year-to-year basis for nearly two decades. That Lillard is approaching one decade is a potential milestone.

This version, the Dame 8, is set to release on Dec. 19. in four different colorways. Pre-orders are already available on the Adidas website.

Lillard himself has worn the shoes on a few occasions already during the 2021-22 season. On the year, he’s averaging 22.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists on 38-31-89 percentage splits across 23 games to start the season.