Clippers' Jamal Crawford set to drop third signature Brandblack sneaker
Brandblack founder and designer David Raysse calls the J Crossover 3’s unique exterior a “crazy removable shroud with additional support...” The addition of the shroud makes Clippers forward Jamal Crawford's latest signature model particularly unique in the sneaker landscape.
Getting the J Crossover 3 to that point took quite a bit of time, however. The California-based sneaker company, which has Crawford on board and just announced the signing of football star DeSean Jackson, plans to launch the J Crossover 3 on Black Friday, but Crawford has already started wearing the shrouded sneaker in games for the Clippers.
“Everybody plays with the shroud (on),” Raysse tells SI.com. “I spent a lot of time engineering that thing so it stays put and does what it is supposed to do. I didn’t want some goofy little detail that wasn’t functional.”
courtesy Brandblack
The patterned element aims to provide support, Raysse says.
The Crossover 3 will have start with all-red and all-blue colorways, already worn by Crawford this season—the blue at home and red on the road. Soon we’ll also see Crawford sporting an all-black, a black and red combo and potentially an all-white. Of course, as the season continues, Raysse says he has a “couple of wacky (colorways) coming down the line,” including a silver release.
Along with the shroud, Raysse says an all-new “black foam” offers 20% more rebound than their last foam, which already had 20% more bounce than EVA foam. The new foam—aimed to offer less stress on the foot—helped the design team lower the shoe and run a new support plate full-length on both sides of the sneaker.
Even with technology in the sole, expect everyone to notice the shroud.
Tim Newcomb covers stadiums, sneakers and training for Sports Illustrated. Follow him on twitter at @tdnewcomb.
