Adidas’ plan to reissue one of Kobe Bryant’s iconic sneakers went awry last week when a defect issue led the brand to recall pairs, some of which had already been sent to stores. The retailers who were to launch the Lakers theme “Sunshine” colorway of the Adidas Crazy 1 tell Complex that in the days leading up to the October 22 launch, Adidas sent out a notice that the sneakers needed to be returned due to a quality control issue.
In correspondence Adidas sent to a retailer, which was viewed by Complex, the brand did not specify what was wrong with the shoes. According to a source with knowledge of the recall, the shoes suffered from creases in the foam material of the upper.
Adidas did not comment on the Crazy 1 release when it was reached by Complex and the brand did not set a new date for the shoe.
The Adidas Crazy 1 debuted in 2000, then as the Adidas Kobe 1. The brand brought the sneaker back in retro form before, giving it a new moniker after Bryant left Adidas and signed a deal with Nike in 2003. The last retro was originally planned for in April, according to a leaked Adidas document, but was pushed back months like many other 2022 sneaker releases.
The disappearance of the Crazy 1’s retro 2022 in the “Sunshine” colorway just before its launch is reflected on social media, where commenters have posted messages wondering why the sneakers never dropped in many stores. The product sheet for the shoe on the Adidas website now redirects to show a range of other basketball shoes.
Although the sneaker won’t get a full rollout, pairs have appeared on StockXsuggesting that there are a number on the market that have escaped Adidas’ recall.