James Harden's girlfriend Paije Speights steps up her marketing game after $160 sneaker release

LA Clippers star James Harden's girlfriend, Paije Speights, is stepping up her product packaging game by releasing the former NBA MVP's Adidas Harden Vol. 9 sneakers. In a video posted to her Instagram story on Wednesday, Speights shared videos of the Adidas Harden Vol. 9 box, complete with a collage of photos lining the interior.

The recently-released shoes dropped this month following an in-game debut from Harden during the Clippers' Jan. 6 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. On Adidas' US website, the shoes are sold out in size 12 and from 13.5 up.

Of course, the Adidas Harden Vol. 9 release couldn't come at a better time. Currently, LA has continued to make a push in a competitive Western Conference for a top-six spot.

As of Wednesday, LA sits in sixth place in the West, one game ahead of the Timberwolves in the standings and just half a game outside of fifth.

Amid what has been an exciting season for Harden, his girlfriend showed off the eye-catching Adidas Harden Vol. 9 box on her Instagram story, writing:

"I'm stepping my product packaging up cus this heat."

Paije Speights (@front_paije) - Instagram

"We've been creating some heat," - James Harden praises work with Adidas following the Adidas Harden Vol. 9 release

With the Adidas Harden Vol. 9 release, James Harden is getting into elite company regarding players who have released signature shoes. When looking at the history of players with signature shoes through Adidas, no player has more than Derrick Rose.

However, Harden and Damian Lillard have released nine signature shoes through the company. Behind them is Tracy McGrady, who released eight variants of his TMAC line.

While speaking with Sports Illustrated's Joey Linn following the release of his ninth signature shoe, Harden praised Adidas while dubbing his newest sneaker, which was both a performance shoe and a lifestyle shoe.

"Man, it's a testament to the work we've been putting in. Myself and adidas have an unbelievable partnership, and it's been special these past few years. We've been creating some heat and making some real disruptive shoes that I think a lot of people can relate to and it's a lifestyle, honestly."

"You can wear them on the court, and you can wear them off the court. So, for me, I'm just excited about how they came out with the final finishes and I hope my fans enjoy them as well."

Given how many colorways Adidas has released of previous models, expect plenty more variants of Harden Vol. 9 shoes throughout the remainder of the season.