Dwight Howard may be known for his colorful personality, but his latest shoe escapade takes his flighty image to a different level.

 

First came a new team. Now it's going to be a new pair of shoes.

 

It's reported that Adidas will be launching the D Howard 4 on 1 Nov, two days after the Houston Rockets open up the regular season.

 

Adidas issued some lame statement about these shoes being inspired by Dwight's playing style and personality, but I think they were up in the air about Howard's future. At the time they had to do or die about getting the shoes introduced at the season's start, Adidas didn't know if Howard would remain a Laker or join another team.

 

So what did they do?

 

Frankly, it looks like they took a three-year-old obsessed with circles and let him/her go crazy with a box of markers. And that's being kind. I could have tossed a designer-drug reference into that scenario and still be understating the result.

 

The shoe pattern -- if you imagine there is one -- is less than professional. It's nothing but random circles in every color imaginable.

 

Mixing the black and red with the different shades of gold, along with the blue laces, screams 'Howard.' Didn't the psycho-babble fashion misadventures of Vancouver's Canucks a generation ago teach anyone a lesson? There are still hockey fans out there who remain traumatized!

 

There is a lot going on with this shoe design, but none of it makes sense. Again, that's Howard.

 

Besides die-hard LSD users, who will wear these shoes? That vote is still out. There may be a few of Howard's fans who like the shoe and will follow him to the ends of bad taste, but it's hard to imagine a hardcore baller traipsing around in some tie-dye shoes. 

 

In fact, besides a hallucenogenic episode, I can't think of any other scenario where these shoes would look appropriate. 

 

I would say the shoe certainly fits. Like Howard, they're loud, showy, and full of hype but with no real substance.

 

It's up to Howard to change that image. And then, for the sake of humanity, to change those shoes!