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What do Texas Tech players, coaches think of adidas as new apparel provider?
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- What do Texas Tech players, coaches think of adidas as new apparel provider?
A month has passed since the Texas Tech athletic department officially entered into a new era when adidas became the new apparel partner for the Red Raiders.
Football was the major player in the brand switch with Tech's official social media accounts posting teaser videos and a full uniform reveal on the morning of July 1. Since then, players and coaches have been dipping into their new supply to ready for their respective seasons.
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The biggest change for the athletes themselves involves the shoes. Many of the football players the Avalanche-Journal spoke to at the team's local media day last week said the main difference between adidas and Under Armour cleats are the weight and feel of the shoe.
More: How Patrick Mahomes II, Joey McGuire worked with adidas to bring Texas Tech football a new look
"These shoes are a lot lighter," C.J. Baskerville said, "and that's something that we want. You do have to break in the cleats a little bit, which is not a problem because we were doing that during summer training. But if you have to break them in, that means they're a lot more structured. They're extremely lightweight and structured. That's kind of exactly what you want."
Several of the new football players came from schools with other apparel deals. Offensive lineman Vinny Sciury wore Nike while at Toledo, then Under Armour during the spring before the switch to adidas became official in July. Having worn all three in short succession, he has a clear favorite.
An Adidas logo is seen at John Walker Soccer Complex, Friday, June 28, 2024.
"Adidas has the lightest cleats," Sciury said. "I like them a lot because I'm a big believer in big guys, don't put heavy cleats on your feet so you can sprint off the ball. I really like the switch."
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Receiver Josh Kelly and defensive back Bralyn Lux both sported adidas while they were teammates at Fresno State . Reunited at Texas Tech, they're back in the three-stripe life and have different preferences.
Kelly said the cleats feel great on his feet while Lux said he was actually partial to Under Armour, saying they were more comfortable to him. Lux admitted he had some trouble with broken cleats while at Fresno State, but with new bottoms, that shouldn't be an issue this time.
More: LOOK: Texas Tech football unveils new adidas uniforms
Kicker Gino Garcia said the specialists were especially excited for the switch. Garcia doesn't change cleats too often, needing only to switch out his plant-foot shoe throughout the season. Being a kicker, he needed a cleat that can form to his foot, which adidas provides.
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Another fall sport, women's soccer, has also enjoyed the transition. Kylie Bahr said Monday it felt like she could've played a full 90 minutes with the first pair of cleats she tried on.
"I also love how the adidas shoes, they made a women's style," Bahr said. "I have very narrow feet, so a lot of times I have to lace them super tight, but with adidas it kind of just took all that away."
After being named a 2024 inductee into the Texas Tech Hall of Honor, track and field coach Wes Kittley said adidas' track and field spikes were "phenomenal."
Texas Tech begins their appeal deal with Adidas, Monday, July 1, 2024.
"Nobody's gonna tell us that they're not a good product," Kittley said.
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During a recent interview with the Avalanche-Journal, men's basketball transfer JT Toppin said he appreciated the apparel switch because of comfortability. Toppin spent his freshman year at New Mexico , a Nike school.
Some equipment has yet to arrive. Toppin was going through workouts this day wearing an adidas practice jersey but sporting an Under Armour shirt underneath.
Uniforms are the biggest drawing factor for fans, many eager to see what Texas Tech teams will look like when they take the field of play. Behren Morton said during Big 12 media days in Las Vegas that his favorite football combination is the all-white uniform.
He also noted the team will have some others to unveil later in collaboration with Patrick Mahomes , whose gladiator logo will be featured for football and baseball initially. Other sports will also feature Mahomes' brand in the future.
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Tom Stone said the cleats his players wear are a major factor, but credited adidas for working with them to make the rest of the uniform function as well as their Under Armour unis did.
"We're like, hey, we don't want to go backwards," Stone said, "and adidas took us over up even higher. This uniform is cut for the ladies, fits them great. Performance wise, it's lighter, it's really airy. It's great for this climate. They knocked our socks off when the adidas uniforms showed up."
Men's basketball hasn't revealed its uniforms for the 2024-25 season yet, and head coach Grant McCasland isn't going to spoil anything for Tech's creative department. However, he sees the switch to adidas is already paying off in a major way.
"I just feel like." McCasland said, "we've got all our bases covered now in regards to how we can be the best in the country."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Positive reviews from Texas Tech players, coaches with new adidas gear
