The adidas Collector’s Project dropped on 26^th October 2013 and it’s one collaboration we don’t want to miss out on…

Earlier this year, 5 of the most faithful adidas collectors from around the world were invited to design and rework their favourite 3-stripe styles at the adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany.

Each collector was able to delve into the archives and retrieve their most cherished sneaker styles as inspiration for their own reworked collaborations. The result is an incredible selection of 5 sneaker styles, designed with a wealth of passion, insight and experience behind them.

 

 

The style and spirit of the collectors is entirely evident in their designs, paying homage to some of the best-loved and most desirable sneakers on earth. The subtlety of the collection is what’s most impressive; the designs transport us back into a different time, place and culture. Robert Brooks, our London collector, describes his affair with adidas beginning as a teen, being influenced by his brother and London street-style. He explains how his favourite sneaker styles can evoke memories from times in his life, of particular nights, friends and music. His decade-long ambition to source a pair of rare ZX550 3-stripes was fulfilled when he was approached by the Collector’s Project. He was finally able not only to own, but design the unobtainable sneaker. Robert’s design is classic both in shape and colour-way, yet modern in its sentiment. His sneaker features a beige suede panel with navy blue and orange detailing, showing his sensitivity to the running styles of the 80s and 90s.

The inspiration for both Julia Schoierer (a.k.a Sneakerqueen) and Operator EMZ’s sneakers comes from nostalgic hip-hop culture. Operator EMZ from Brooklyn, NYC describes his pro model 80s silhouette as the ‘hi-top superstar’ which invaded the New York street scene in the mid-80s and has remained a firm favourite in the big apple and worldwide ever since. His design remains faithful to the classic colour way, an uncomplicated all white sneaker with burgundy suede 3-stripe detail. Sneakerqueen’s passion for sneakers originated in Berlin and was inspired by urban culture, street art and hip-hop. The adidas Rivalry Hi-tops were the sneaker she could never afford as a teenager and the Collector’s Project allowed her to create an authentic pair to add to her vast collection. The chunky all white body is the perfect backdrop for the understated grey detailing- a nod to the original hip-hop approach to the sneaker.

Tokyo’s Mr Magara brought a refreshingly different vibe the Project. His fascination with sneakers began at junior high and stemmed from an influx of American sportswear in Japan during the early 80s, led by the adidas ‘Country’ style shoe. Mr Magara’s design for the Collector’s Project was led by this time-honoured shape of sneaker and its vibrant colour-way was discovered when he entered the adidas archives and stumbled across a pair of distinctively coloured Formula-1s.

Coming directly from the wisdom of the most knowledgeable and passionate collectors, the designs for the Collector’s Project are perceptive and restrained. No-one knows more about uncomplicated sneakers than Ralf Tittanen. Inspired by his Scandinavian homeland, its simplicity and minimalism, Ralf is all about the old basketball styles of the late 60s. His encounter in the archives with the adidas Super Creep (the first ever leather basketball shoe) helped influence his selection of a final design for the Project. Ralph’s search for the extremely limited Bahamas sneaker has proved unsuccessful in a decade of collecting and his final design is an exact rework of this esteemed sneaker, the only differences being the addition of a leather tongue and some dark red accenting on the laces and stripes.

With some help from the adidas Originals design team, the collectors have created a fantastically refined sneaker pack which is set to sell out fast! The buzz surrounding the release is awesome, and to add to the frenzy the collection is only available in 5 pop-up locations. Keep your finger on the pulse if you want to catch a pair of adidas Collector’s Project sneakers!

Available at No6 (London), No74 (Berlin), The Reed Space (NY), A-1 (Tokyo) and SNS (Stockholm).

words by Francesca Taylor