The OG adidas Harden Vol. 1 Sees First Retro on Aug. 1

James Harden has 17 NBA seasons under his belt, meaning he is well into the back-half of his professional basketball career. As such, it seems "The Beard" and adidas Basketball are finally ready to commence retro efforts for their signature line of hoops shoes, beginning with the Harden Vol. 1.

According to Sneaker News, the 2009-10 NBA rookie will have his first sneaker reissued on Saturday, Aug. 1. Diehard fans of the adidas Harden Vol. 1 have long taken to social media to express their desire for a proper retro of the basketball shoe from 2016 given that the design—led by Brian Foresta—struck a compelling balance between performance and style in a way most of Harden's footwear hadn't prior to just some years ago.

Fittingly, the inaugural Harden Vol. 1 retro will be the "Pioneer" pair, which sees a "Core Black/Scarlet/Core White" color scheme.

News of the adidas Harden line's re-release cycle is particularly of note as it signals fairly unexplored territory for the Three Stripes. Signature models from the late Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady lines have been reissued by the brand, but these products are widely-outdated by today's standard. By comparison, the Harden Vol. 1 "Pioneer" retro could still see some play on-court, especially if adidas modifies rubber traction or cushioning to be capable for modern needs. Additionally, James Harden will join Derrick Rose's sporadic signature sneaker reissues, demonstrating his importance to the modern era of adidas Basketball.

Keep an eye on adidas.com for a release. Pricing for the Harden Vol. 1 is expected to remain at $140.

For other footwear news, check out what's coming up from Crocs.