Rooted in Audi’s design language of future-forward sophistication and uncompromising performance, the Adidas Crazy 1 spoke to the ethos of both German companies as they braved the new millennium.
Under the creative direction of Peter Moore, Adidas tasked Audi with designing a basketball shoe inspired by the cars, climate, and culture of Southern California. They went about the task of crafting the disruptive silhouette the same way they would approach a vehicle: distill core values into the perfect blend of materials, details, and technology.
Images courtesy of Audiworld.com
There were no restrictions as the designers went about the process leaning into aesthetics first. At a glance, the cross-pollination in footwear and automobile design as directional objects that focus on dynamic principles and proportions created a common ground between the TT and Crazy 1. Continuous lines, clean surface body, and bullet-nosed front were referenced, and a fresh take elicited a silhouette that took the long-standing, iconic grooved shell-toe from the Superstar, which, the designers felt, resembled the grill of Audi.
With maximalist lines and a clean, sophisticated minimalism, the Crazy 1 demanded attention. Subsequent editions of the silhouette focused on clean colorways, sometimes with simple single or dual-color treatments that resemble a luxury vehicle, somehow both bold and unassuming, a shout and a whisper.
Fast forward 23 years, its modern-day successor, the Crazy Infinity, continues to boast these design principles while offering up to date tooling that seamlessly blends with contemporary style.
