The Trefoil brand cooks up another quarter chock full of coveted kicks and will likely end 2018 on a strong note. Without a doubt, the collaboration between classic manga/anime series Dragonball Z and footwear giant Adidas was always going to draw a lot of attention. This weekend, the Adidas Deerupt “Son Gohan” and Adidas Prophere “Cell” will drop for $100 and $150, respectively. The boxes combine to form a mural of the major Dragonball Z characters (Son Goku vs. Frieza, Son Gohan vs. Cell, Vegeta vs. Majin Buu, and Shenron the Dragon) fighting each other in the ultimate showdown. Each key character will come with its own shoe: Son Goku’s Adidas ZX 500 (released in September), Frieza’s Adidas Yung-1 (released in September), Son Gohan’s Adidas Deerupt, Cell’s Adidas Prophere, Vegeta’s Adidas Ultra Tech (releasing in November), Majin Buu’s Adidas Kamanda (releasing in November), and Shenron the Dragon’s Adidas EQT Support ADV Primeknit (releasing in December). Even if you are not a die-hard DBZ fan, I think you can appreciate the attention to detail for this collection. Every special edition sneaker here comes with a throwback to the character’s trademark color scheme or reference to a physical characteristic. I would say these shoes are ready to go Super Saiyan and head into battle.
First unveiled in 2017, the next generation performance footwear technology Futurecraft 4D saga continued with the release of the Daniel Arsham Futurecraft 4D, concluding the trilogy of Past, Present, and Future with contemporary artist and cofounder of design firm Snarkitechture, Daniel Arsham through Adidas technology. His interest in archaeology and cultural artefacts informs most of his work, with the 4D shoe being no exception. Arsham’s work involves repurposing familiar objects from the present into the future as historical relics. Arsham’s short film series, Hourglass, also marked its conclusion and served as an official introduction to the sneakers through its part-fictional, part-documentary format. The light green tonal Arsham sneakers reveal a hidden message ‘FUTURE’ that can only be seen in UV light. Daniel Arsham previously released a New York Past (rubber outsole) and New York Present silhouette (Boost outsole) in 2017 but the cutting edge 4D silhouette is definitely my favorite of the three. The 4D shoe also came packaged inside a sealed box containing special Daniel Arsham Studio gloves, socks, and a bag.
So far, Y-3 (Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto’s joint collaboration with Adidas), Invincible (Taiwan streetwear and sneaker boutique), Sneakersnstuff (Swedish retailer also known as SNS), Footpatrol (London sneaker store) have released 4D shoes. Kith (retail store and brand based in NYC) will soon release its version of the 4D shoe on November 2. The Kith iteration riffs on the ski-inspired Aspen, Colorado Adidas Ultraboost Mid collaboration released two years ago in 2016. There was even a pop-up store in Aspen designed by Kith and Snarkitechture celebrating outdoor recreation and the launch of the first Adidas Ultraboost Mid ever with multiple sportswear brands such as Capita, Columbia, New Era, Timberland, Tumi, Union, and more.
The Kith collaboration is apparently the last of the Adidas Consortium 4D series although 4D technology will probably be infused in more silhouettes. Adidas already released an Futurecraft 4D “Ash Green,” Futurecraft 4D “Ash Green White,” an Alphaedge 4D shoe in black and then white and the Futurecraft 4D I-5923 as part of the Never Made pack first revealed at Hypebeast’s Hypefest. There are already rumors of an Adidas 4D Run that will be available in 3 colorways in all sizes that will retail for $300. Adidas continues to test the limits of high-end 3D printing by producing sneaker midsoles that are both lightweight and durable, crafted with advanced Carbon Digital Light Synthesis technology. Retail prices for these shoes have not been cheap, ranging from $300 to $525. Despite the prices, consider yourself lucky if you do manage to buy a pair since these are still only available in extremely limited quantities.
The upcoming Adidas and Game of Thrones collaboration seems to be a potential hit as this could be a way to attract casual folks who are enthusiastic about the award winning TV show. The Game of Thrones and Adidas shoes will be comprised of several Ultraboosts that will represent the different clans in Westeros: The Night’s Watch, House Targaryen, Daenerys Targaryen, House Lannister, House Stark, and last but not least, the White Walkers. This pop culture crossover is sure to be a hit with both sneakerheads and fans of the series. The Game of Thrones and Adidas partnership will drop in early 2019, coinciding with the eighth and final season of the blockbuster HBO series.
For next year, expect a lot of new silhouettes from the German lifestyle company. I think Boost technology (first released 5 years ago) has gotten boring, but 4D seems to be the future for Adidas. Boost is not even Adidas’ own proprietary technology; they pay a certain amount to BASF (German chemical company) for permission to use the technology. Obviously, being dependent on another company’s technology is never a good thing. It was only a matter of time before Boost fell out of relevance, so I am glad to see Adidas experimenting with 4D technology and surprising collaborations. I am not a huge fan of Adidas, but I am curious to see where the brand goes and how it will impact the sneaker culture after overtaking Jordan Brand in sales last year in the United States, which industry insiders thought would never happen. While Kanye West and Pharrell Williams are the most visible representatives of the brand, they only make up a small portion of overall sales. Competition is always good for the culture.
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