BASKETBALL
"I love this game!" - The NBA's popular
claim perfectly states Basketballs glo-
bal appeal. Internationally, the sports'
popularity has soared for years, and
does not show any signs of slowing
down. Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and
Michael Jordan paved the way en route
to "Dream Teams" gold medal at the
Olympic Games in Barcelona, 1992.
Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant
Eric Dobsen
and co. then took basketballs marketa-
bility to another level. The future is in
very good hands, considering the sports
young torchbearers Lebron James,
Carmelo Anthony etc. Furthermore, the
successful influx of top international
players into the NBA (Yao Ming, Dirk
Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, Peja
Stojakovic...) has drastically extended
a field of special interest into one of Dean Dawson
general interest, turning basketball into hoops and hip-hop culture spices up
a mainstream phenomenon everywhere the game. The hoop community (aka
around the planet, that seriously rivals Nation of Hoop) is proud of a unique
football (soccer) as the worlds number lifestyle, blending history, attitude, hip
one sport. Nowadays, kids in Europe and hop music and style.
Asia grow up idolizing Iverson or Lebron,
just as much as they do Beckham. Pure basketball performance, street-
ball, hip-hop and meticulous attention to
But the NBA is just basketballs biggest detail are obvious in all that is k1x.
stage. The soul and mentality of the
game are cultivated and reinvented in We love this game.
the streets. Creative ball-handling, com-
petitive drive (sometimes synonymous
with trash talk) and most notably a
constantly remixed interpretation of bas-
ketball fashion, make inner-city courts
the true breeding ground for "what's
next?". A distinct relationship between

KICKZ.cOM AND k1x
The KICKZ corporation
The KICKZ corpo-
ration has supplied
national and inter-
national basketball
players with baller-specific hard- and
software since 1993. The small shop in
Munich-Schwabing and the repeatedly
awarded internet-site (www.kickz.com)
have established Kickz as an acknow-
ledged pioneer and specialist in the
field of basketball. (“Kicks” is slang for
sneakers).
k1x | nation of hoop
The development of our own brand
k1x (spoken “kay-one-ex”) is a logical
consequence of the experience and
contact to customers of a company
that has focused on basketball for ten
years.
At KICKZ almost every position in the
firm is occupied by active and formerly
active ballplayers (i.e. Christian Grosse
is the only footwear com-
pany CEO - apart from
Jordan, maybe - who
can dunk the basketball).
Designers, PR-strate-
gists, chief of sales and the executive
board always keep their ear and feet to
the street. This way new tendencies are
picked up immediately and k1x “keeps
it real”. Premium functionality and fresh
NBA All-Star Steve Francis & Damon „Basketball“ Jones
styles at “baller 4 baller” pricing – these Stricly Business” has a sleek silhouette
are the characteristics of every k1x and is a pure breed on-court performer.
product. k1x gear is edgy, pushing a
distinctive urban flair that speaks to the The k1x Logo
basketball scene, but also touches on
hip hop lifestyle. Baggy cuts and inno- The underground flair of k1x is amplified
vative color combinations make up the by the k1x tag-logo. It convinces with an
unmistakable style of the brand. k1x exquisitely high brand recognition wit-
stands out, but is not an outsider. k1x is hout losing the insider-appeal. Decoding
sportier than Pass The Roc and conveys the logo is only underlines the affinity of
more lifestyle than And1. k1x to streetball and hip hop. The k1x-
tag-logo’s high brand recognition has
k1x is responsive to the customer’s recently been honored by “Novum”, a
needs. For example, this is why XL leading design magazine.
shorts by k1x are really extra large and
baggy, while other companies’ shorts
(especially in Europe and Asia) are
based on outdated fits and old-fashio-
ned designs. To make a long story short:
Nike and Adidas are for gym teachers,
k1x is meant for the cats always sitting
at the back of the bus.
The range of goods consists of balls,
shoes, hiking boots, work-out gear,
team jerseys, shirts, sweatshirts, hoo-
dies, jeans, jackets, caps, sweat sets,
socks, bags and many other acces-
soires. In November 2002 the first bas-
ketball performance shoe by k1x came
out. The k1x Chiefglider was successful
from the get go, through the occupation
of a niche market: classic design in com-
bination with fully engineered functio-
nality make the Chiefglider unique. k1x
second basketball performance shoe
will hit the market early 2005. The “k1x

k1x FOOTWEAR
In 2002, k1x footwear was launched.
The k1x Chiefglider was the first bas-
ketball performance shoe by k1x-Nation
of Hoop. It has been built in 17 different
variations and is sold all over the world.
Grass-roots projects like the Chiefglider
"Bounce", designed by „the Don King of
the Footwear Game“ Bobbito Garcia,
the Chiefglider "Rucker" (official shoe of
the legendary Rucker League in Harlem,
NYC) and customized rides for opini-
on leading artists (e.g The Spezializtz)
and athletes (e.g. german national play-
er Ademola Okulaja), have made the
Nationalspieler Ademola „The Warrior“ Okulaja
Chiefglider quite notorious for its young
age. A-grades in performance tests (Sole
Magazine, Basket...) and reviews (www.
kicksology.net, www.crookedtongues.
com...) have knighted the Chiefglider
officially.
The Chiefgliders timeless silhouette,
vast potential for color variations and
acknowledged performance qualities
will make the Chiefie a k1x classic for
years to come.
In 2003, k1x Footwear
expanded with the arrival of the k1x
H1ke. This downtown hiking boot was
an instant success and customer favori-
te. It felt right at home in the streets, in
the Alps and in the clubs. 2005 marked
the successful launch of 6 new k1x
H1ke styles.
For ballplayers who want to attack the
beach right after stepping out of the sho-
wer, k1x came up with edgy flip flops:
the k1x Baller Thonkx.
In 2005, the k1x footwear line kicked
into high gear with the coming of the
Ispo Brand New Award Finalist: The k1x
Strictly Business...
RON ARTEST
November 2005 marked a milestone in
k1x history, when NBA superstar and
media magnet Ron Artest decided to
sign with k1x, making him the first NBA
player to officially rock the Chiefglider
on the hallowed NBA hardwood. A big
step into the U.S. market. The ultimate
validation for k1x.
k1x and Ron Artest agreed to an exclusi-
ve three year endorsement-deal. Artest
will be actively involved in the design
and development of two k1x Ron Artest
lines, which will feature on-court perfor-
mance styles (“Tru Warier”) and a bas-
ketball lifestyle look (“Ron Artest”), inclu-
ding footwear, apparel and accessories.
Artest’s k1x clothing and footwear lines
will make their U.S. and European debut
at the start of the 2006/07 NBA season.
Ron Artest aka Tru Warier is considered
as the league’s best defensive player
as well as one of the most controversial
personalities of America.
The All-Star forward from Queensbridge,
New York, leads the league in steals
(2,6) and scores 20 points per game.
His aggressive game and hip hop per- Ron Artest
sonality make Ron Artest the ideal figure
head for k1x.
Artest comments “I’m excited and hono-
red to be the first NBA player to sign a
deal with k1x. Their sneakers and clo-
thes epitomize a ball player’s lifestyle to
the core. Other big name endorsement
offers also came on strong, but I really
believe in k1x`s products and vision.
Gotta watch out, my teammates are
already fiending for my k1x! I had heard
real good things about the company and
brand, so I played in the k1x Chiefglider
model during the pre-season. They’re
on fire and will make a major mark here
soon. Right now k1x is big in Europe
and I am thrilled to help them introduce
their brand to the U.S.!”
 Bobbito Garcia aka DJ Cucumberslice
BOBBITO GARCIA
"You know you got a hot sneaker
when you don't even have to ask
for anyone's opinion. When I wear
these kicks, people come up to me all
the time and go "Yo, where'd you get
those? When are they coming out?
How can I get them? I get crazy reac-
tions every time I wear them“
– Bobbito Garcia on his k1x Bobbito
Garcia Bounce Edition Chiefglider
The k1x Chiefglider Bounce was deve-
loped in cooperation with the ‘Don King
of the footwear game’ (Chef Raekwon /
Wu Tang Clan) and is a further demons-
tration of the authenticity and style of the
brand k1x. The limited Bobbito Garcia
Bounce Edition of the Chiefglider stands
out with its special colorway: pumpkin
orange /slate & rubbersole. On May
16th, 2004, the launch for the Chiefglider
Bobbito Garcia Edition was celebrated
at Training Camp store, NYC.
Bobbito?!?
Look up ‘Jack-of-all-trades’ in Websters,
and you will probably see a picture of
Bobbito Garcia grinning at you. Born and
raised in NYC, Bobbito has been there,
done that. In terms of Hip Hop, NYC
Basketball and sneaker expertise, he is
the man with the masterplan. A few stats
on Bobbito aka DJ Cucumberslice:
- One half of “Stretch Armstrong &
Bobbito’s Show” on WKC-R, the “best Hip
Hop show of all times” (VIBE Magazine).
On this legendary show, Bobbito dis-
covered Jay-Z, Biggie, the Wu-Tang
Clan, Mobb Deep and others “...We
were like the fuckin’ pirates of radio.
Everybody loved our show. It was uncut,
raw, uncensored. We weren’t trying to
be anybody we weren’t, we were not
trying to shake the funk. We were nerds,
stupid, silly – but you know what? The
hardest fuckin’ criminals loved us, we
used to get letters from every jail in the
tri-state area. Shit, if I ever do something
wrong, I’m gonna be well protected.”
- Professional player in Puerto Rico. “I
played for Arecibo Aapitanes in La Liga
Superior. We were the worst team in the
Puerto Rican pro league, but I wouldn’t
trade that experience to play in my
homeland for anything.”
- One-of-a-kind ball-handler, who rocks
NBA halftime shows with his “Project
Playground.”
- Publisher of the new “Bounce” magazi-
ne, covering NYC hoops
- Voice of EA Sports „NBA Street vol.2“
and MC of various NYC playground
tournaments.
- Honorary member of the Rock Steady
Crew.
- Author of “Where’d You Get Those?”,
the ultimate book on sneaker culture in
NYC
- Designer of the limited edition 59fifty
cap by New Era. “Spike Lee, Fabolous,
Missy, myself and a few others were
asked to come up with a cap design.
Of course, the cap I came up with is
the perfect hook-up for the Bobbito
Chiefglider.”
- Designer of the new k1x Chiefglider
Bobbito Garcia Edition
Find out more about Bobbito on:
http://www.somosarte.com/Bobbito/
STRICTLY BUSINESS
In 2005, k1x took basketball footwear
to the next level with the launch of
its second performance shoe: the k1x
Strictly Business. This pure breed per-
former goes to work with slick, aggres-
sive styling and an extremely wide and
low stance for quick cuts and rhythm
changes.
The "other guys“
tend to hit the
market with too
many products
(smaller footprints,
higher and softer
stance, injection
molded midsoles) that have difficul-
ties to cope with the modern ballers'
demands.
A shoe equipped with a narrow outsole
and thick and heavy cushioning simply
can not deliver maximum game. German
engineering and Rain-Man-like attention
to basketball-specific details resulted in
these following Strictly Business fea-
tures:
- widest outsole on the market built on NYC Point Guard Zach Marbury
anatomical last
- w.l.o.t.c cushion in rear-foot foot for
shock absorbtion
- w.h.u.i.t.a cushion in front-foot for lon-
ger airtime
- 3 dimensional t.p.u. shank provides
torsion stiffness for fast returns during
lateral moves
- air mesh booty and tongue for breath-
ability
- rubber outsole compound made in ger-
many for durability and sick traction
- compression moleded e.v.a midsole
- internal loop construction for lacing Simply put, you will not end up on the
- memory foam collar used in ice-hockey wrong end of a highlight poster in the
boots for extra protection k1x Strictly Business.
- patent leather, tpu heel counter and
strategy embroidery for extra stability
SIERRA LEONE
The k1x autumn/winter 2005 collection
“Sierra Leone – Freetown basketball” is
the first complete collection by k1x and
a tribute to the ballplayers of the west
african country Sierra Leone. They have
come to define our claim “You can`t
teach heart”. Eventhough exceptionally
rich in a cultural sense, Sierra Leone is
considered the poorest country in the
world. The national basketball team of
Sierra Leone trains and plays under
toughest circumstances, making them
the ultimate ambassadors of “Love 4 da
Game”.
Inspired by the stunning beauty of Sierra
Leone and the daily hustle of its ball-
players, many details like the national
colors, coat of arms etc. were crafted
into the collection. Even the subject mat-
Sierra Leone National Team
ter of “conflict diamonds”, also recently
brought to everyones attention by rap-
pers like Kanye West and Q-Tip, was
broached. The collection is extremely
broad, including functional pieces and
lots of off-court apparel like jeans, par-
kas, hoodys, caps, belt, sweater, hiking
boots, longsleeves, suits and beanies.
k1x is proud to officially equip Team
Sierra Leone with apparel, shoes and
balls. k1x got great support from soul
artist Patrice, who showed some love for
Patrice
his home country.
 NBA Basketball Challenge Champion 2005

K1X STREETBALL TEAM

The k1x team has been the country’s Justus “Hammertime” Hammer and up-
leading streetball-team for years. Every and-coming national league players like
summer, the team Hendrik Feist (Stony Brook College,
plays all cities of NYC) make up the dazzling and hard
the “NBA Basketball working team. k1x dunking sensations
Challenge”, the Mike “Dynamike” Hairston and Fabian
biggest streeball- “Fabulous Fab” Greiser rule the slam
tournament in Ger- dunk contests and get serious media
many, as well as in coverage. And even though dunks and
selected show tour- handles make for superior showman-
naments. ship, the k1x team is notorious for their
“concrete-loose-ball-diver-attitude.”
Streetball legends like Ken Carter (Ex-
Harlem Globetrotters), local heroes like The team has won the NBA Basketball
Challenge three times in the last four Mike "Dynamike" Hairston

years and put out its own mixtape DVD,

the “Ambassador Tour Tape”. The
k1x tour tape 2005 is in pro-
duction.

The success of the

k1x streetball
team and the
tour tape DVD
is a vital part
of k1x’s
grass-roots
marketing.
kICKZ BASKETBALL ACADEMY
k1x Basketball Academy

In August 2003, the first Kickz Basketball

Academy took place on the Greek island
of Crete. All campers (14-22 yrs.) trained
hard under the supervision of Head Coach
Ralph Junge (Urspring Academy), Midnight-
Basketball pioneer Armin Schroth, 2nd
division gunner Chris Bosfu and Basketball
TV Host Niels Jäger. Two grueling practice
sessions were held daily and made bearab-
le by plenty of beach time in between. After
all, the motto of the camp is “beachin’ and
ballin”.The innovative nature of the camp
was a huge success, prompting a 30%
growth by the time the second camp was
held in August, 2004. The Kickz Basketball
Academy has already established itself as
a fix date in the calendar of young ballplay- THIS IS YOUR MISSION
ers. ROCK THE ISLAND

BEACHIN’ AND
BALLIN’ PART 2
-
1.8.

KICKZ ACADEMY SUMMER CAMP 2004

 Planet Asia

K1x IN the media

Print Ads

k1x primarily campaigns with edgy

downtown hustlers like Ademola Okulaja
(“The Warrior”), NYC streetball wiz Zach
Marbury, high flying Rasheed Sparks
and former NBA player Chris Herren.
National and international k1x aficiona-
dos from the world of hip hop appear in
ads, that are geared towards off court
clientele: US Rap Star Joe Budden, So
Solid Crew, Kool Savas, Dean Dawson,
Saian Supa Crew, CL Smooth, Planet
Asia, Jeru the Damaja and others.“Real”
testimonials are eyecatchers, that
make a lot of noise in the scene and
prominently feature k1x on the court,
on stage or on video.k1x places doub-
le page ads on the first double page
spread in all relevant German publica-
man publications (like “FIVE”, “BASKET”,
“JUICE”, etc.) forever. Of course, inter-
national publications and trail blazing
Edwin Offori-Attah got game
U.S mags like “Slam”, “Dime”, "Vibe",
"Sole Collector", “Complex” and other
sources like “FHM” or “GQ” feature k1x
products and fashion clippings regularly.
Recent examples of k1x press clippings
in various magazines can be viewed on
the following pages.
Joe Budden pumps it up Rasheed Sparks takes the B-Train

tions (“FIVE”, “Juice”, “Level 47”) and

advertises on double pages in every
issue of Slam Magazine.

Press Clippings

k1x has been getting mad love from ger-

REVIEWS
The Chiefglider made big waves from Basket
the start, which is why the leading inter- “…the Chiefglider is the first shoe by
national sneaker test sites put the k1x Kickz and convinces from the start with
Chiefglider to the test. quality. Two different systems are fea-
The neutral reviews all concluded very tured in the forefoot and in the heel-area
positively, and can be looked up on the and leave nothing to be desired. The
following websites: “Memory Foam” in the shaft guarantees
an ideal fit…Conclusion: The Chiefglider
Kicks Guide is an absolute top model and has the
(www.kicksguide.com) best price-performance-ratio of all tes-
Crooked Tongues ted shoes.”
(www.crookedtongues.com)
Kicksology Kicks Guide
(www.kicksology.net) “The Chiefglider also felt comfortable
straight out of the box. The result is a
The Chiefglider also scored in bun- luxurious feeling, much like a bathtowel
ches In “Basket” Magazine’s “Shoe Test wrapped around your body right out of
Special” and came out the shower. Its easy to tell that the CG
on top of the was made with performance in mind.
competition. A top quality yet stylish shoe to
the consumer at a reasonable
price.“
Crooked Tongues
„The Chiefglider by
k1x is a shoe
built for the
serious
basketball player”
Kicksology
“…the k1x Chiefglider could only have
come from a person and a compa-
ny with an absolute passion for what
they're doing. [...] I would never have
guessed that the Chiefglider was the
first shoe ever produced by k1x. [...]
shows how much attention and tender
loving care the team at k1x put into the
development of the Chiefglider. [...] k1x
Chiefglider is an incredibly impressive
first effort that more than holds its own
against similarly priced offerings from
the established manufacturers. [...] If
you're an all-around baller at the guard
or forward position who needs a comfor-
table, well-cushioned shoe that's durab-
le enough to take a lot of outdoor abuse,
the Chiefglider is a very good choice...”
kicksometer.info
“The vistors on www.kicksOmeter.info
voted in bunches and finally crowned
the k1x Chiefglider (who left shoes like
the And1 Rise Mid Select, T-Mac 3,
Jordan Jumpman Team Flow and Shox
VC3 in the dust) as Sneaker Champion
for the season 2003/04.“
kicksology.net said it best:
the k1x Chiefglider is “the
start of something big.“