Adidas Pays Homage to Japanese Streetwear in Sneaker Collaboration With Bape
Amina Ayoud
Assistant Digital Editor
Adidas is partnering with Japanese fashion brand Bape, or A Bathing Ape, to celebrate Japanese streetwear. The collaborative effort aims to revamp Adidas’ archival Stan Smith sneaker in celebration of the Japanese streetwear brand’s 30th anniversary.
Unveiled on Wednesday, the sneaker, which comes in white and camo and black and camo colorways, is crafted of a synthetic leather upper made with 60% recycled materials and a tonal debossed and embossed solid camo pattern, a famed pattern for Bape.
Gold foil co-branded details sit atop an ABC camo heel mustache while gold 30th-anniversary jewels adorn the sleek laces. Co-branded detailing throughout the sneaker silhouette, including the tongues and insoles.
Paying homage to Japanese streetwear history, the collaborative Stan Smith sneakers are playfully brought to life through a campaign that situates the instantly recognizable shoes within an oversized cartoon-esque claw machine.
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Founded by Nigo in Ura-Harajuku in 1993, Bape is a clothing brand that specializes in men’s, women’s and children’s lifestyle and street wear. The Bape was most successful during the late 1990s to the early 2000s thanks in part to hip-hop culture and the support of fashion-forward celebrities like The Notorious B.I.G.
Beyond Adidas, the brand has had major collaborations under its proverbial belt including the likes of SpongeBob SquarePants, Pepsi, Marvel, Nintendo, DC Comics, Hello Kitty, Sanrio Family, Big Sean, Undercover and Timberland among others.
Stan Smith is one of Adidas‘ most classic silhouettes. The tennis shoe was first launched in 1965 and was originally crafted from white leather uppers with bright green detailing. The shoe was a signature model for professional tennis player Robert Haillet before going through a name change in 1978.
Both colorways of the limited edition Adidas x Bape collaboration will be available for purchase on Nov. 18b via selected retailers and on Bape.com.
About the Author
Amina Ayoud is an Assistant Digital Editor for Footwear News, where she writes stories about everything from celebrity style to breaking fashion and shoe releases. Ayoud cultivated a love of all things fashion early in life thanks to a deep love of fashion history and the luxury industry. In her free time, Ayoud is a self-proclaimed fashion nerd and thriftaholic.
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