Basketball shoes have always fed directly into the lifestyle rotation. In 2026, with increasingly technical constructions, the pipeline still exists thanks to the generations of earlier designs that fitted squarely with the style agenda while being super versatile, too.

Roll the clock back to 1978 when the adidas Jabbar first hit the hardwood on the size-17 feet of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This pair would hop effortlessly into the lifestyle sector and continue long after the man himself retired. Now, the adidas Originals Jabbar Lo 125th Harlem Anniversary pays homage to his home of Harlem, New York.

Standing at 7 feet and 2 inches, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a menace in the paint. Slight and strong, his superior skills had been honed in the street courts of Harlem.

From Harlem to the Hall of Fame, he won 6 rings and a record 6 MVP awards, all with adidas Jabbars on foot. To celebrate the man and the neighborhood that he grew up in is the adidas Originals Jabbar Lo 125th Harlem Anniversary.

The shoe takes a decisively understated stance, delivered largely in a subtle off-white hue that sits on the sole unit and upper. All but the heel tabs.

The heel tabs and insole, however, tell a different story. One in green and the other in blue, and featuring an irregular tiled pattern, the heel tabs act as the defining character here.

Blending with the insoles, they mimic the tiles of a globe, as well as the grid layout of New York city, emphasizing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s far-reaching influence while recognizing its beginning in Harlem.

Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase. Want to shop the products our editors actually love? Visit HS Shopping for recs on all things fashion, footwear, and beauty.