James Harden has always had his own style. (Courtesy of adidas)

After James Harden signed his 13-year endorsement deal with adidas at the start of the 2015 NBA season – making him their highest-paid athlete in the sport – the ball got rolling on creating his signature series of sneakers and apparel.

The initial concept was simple: be different.

With Harden’s off-the-court style highlighted by ambitious clothes, loud prints and his trademark beard, there was an expectation for funky, quirky and unique looks. His herky-jerky, ball-dominant game is also unique and was a major point of inspiration.

Harden, 26, had never had a signature shoe before, a rarity for an All-NBA player of his stature, but that allowed him to create with a clean slate.

“I’ve never had an opportunity to express myself, my fashion and my clothing,” Harden said. “To go out there and game-plan and have a lot of ideas, I’m having a lot of fun with the process of shoes.”

The Harden Vol. I line (Jonathan Givony of The Vertical) More

There was an expectation from fans that his first signature shoe would magically appear just months after he and adidas joined forces, but the truth is the design process typically takes anywhere from 12-to-18 months.

“People always ask, ‘How are you different?’” Harden said. “This is just me, it’s just natural. This shoe represents who I am. It’s hard to explain how you’re different, but the shoe explains it for me.”

Building in Harden’s inherent style

From an initial glance, the shoe features drastic splits throughout, most noticeably along the toe. On the court, the 50-50 color blocking allows Harden’s shoe to stand out on TV broadcasts.

Just like Harden’s frenetic footwork during a game, the Harden Vol. 1 shoe also features distinct and jagged lines, represented in the off-center laces and slanted toecap.

Harden and his adidas design team. (Jonathan Givony of The Vertical) More

“It’s rare that you see lacing like this,” Harden said. “Most of the shoes you see have straight, up-and-down laces. This is just to give a little twist on it; those details separate the shoe from everything else.”

The shoe also plays off Harden’s off-court style, taking on a single hue through the upper of the shoe and splashing in casual materials such as suede and ballistic nylon.

“One thing he talked to us about his style was how he has different approaches,” Corey Allen, adidas Basketball’s product manager, said. “He might go more simple from head to toe, and then throw on some flashy shoes. Or vice versa, where he’s simple down low and then something crazy with his hats. We were trying to come up with a blend of making something iconic that also matched his style, that you could also dress it up or dress it down, depending on what mood he’s in.”

For much of the season, Harden has tried to finesse the league’s standard footwear and uniform restrictions, just barely skirting the typical $5,000 fine for color violations on a few occasions. There was the loud gray and pink “Gila Monster” version he wore on the road in Brooklyn, which highlighted the lizard found in the Tempe region he called home for two seasons at Arizona State. This past week, Harden was spotted in a navy and yellow colorway that didn’t exactly match the Rockets’ standard red and silver jerseys.

The dotted sneakers used to collect data in Portland. (Getty Images) More

Story continues