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Jerry Lorenzo’s departure from his short-lived partnership with Nike and arrival at arch-nemesis adidas piqued the interest of sneakerheads and fashion circles back in 2020. The two signed a five-year deal, and with the end of 2025 fast approaching, the partnership between the two will likely cease. Before that happens, Lorenzo has a few more silhouettes up his sleeve, including an incremental update to the adidas Fear of God Athletics Basketball II.
Where Jerry and Fear of God went wrong with the original “performance basketball” silhouette (the model was really a lifestyle sneaker cosplaying as a basketball model), the Basketball II improved upon. Better tooling, padding, and construction compared to the OG. Still, it’s not truly up to par with performance offerings from other brands and adidas itself, but perhaps this new Basketball II.5 can fix that.
The tooling appears to be a direct copy from the Basketball II, with a molded rubber encasing the full-length Lightstrike midsole. It’s tough to tell due to the semi-opaque material coating the upper, but beneath this shroud it appears the upper is totally reworked. As for the shroud, it barely allows you to see the Three Stripes design on the midfoot and the strap along the collar. A zipper conceals the lacing setup and hosts “ATHLETICS” branding in black along the spine, while the heel hosts the sub-label’s “A” logo. Finishing the sneaker is the rubber outsole that now features “ATHLETICS” text below the milky rubber.
It’s not something we want to admit, but the adidas Fear of God Athletics partnership was not what anyone hoped it would be. Now, that’s not to say the product is necessarily bad. A three-year-long wait, new economic factors, and a shifting sneaker landscape meant that the game Jerry and The Three Stripes were playing was different than what was initially planned. Releases from 2023 and 2024 are sitting in outlets and on discount sites for over 70% off and still not selling out.
The adidas Fear of God Athletics II.5 will debut Holiday 2025 through adidas, Fear of God, and select retailers online and in-store. Available in men’s sizing, the retail price is set at $200. Download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Images via adidas
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. When not writing for Sole Retriever, I enjoy watching films and discovering music. Follow me on Letterboxd @nickvlah For tips, reviews, or any shoes in a size 13, email nick@soleretriever.com
