Adidas and Yohji Yamamoto Drop Y-3 Kyasu Sneaker in Low and High-Top Styles
Amina Ayoud
Assistant Digital Editor
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Footwear News may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Adidas and Yohji Yamamoto have again come together to release the stripped-back Y-3 Kyasu sneaker.
First unveiled during the Japanese designer’s March 2023 presentation during Paris Fashion Week, the collaborative footwear is rugged and raw, aiming at marrying Adidas’ sporting heritage and Yamamoto’s renegade approach to design.
Available in both low and high-top styles, the unique silhouette of the Kyasu sneaker is reminiscent of Adidas’ Superstar style, a cult classic in the sneaker world.
The sneaker is simple, comprised of rubber shell-toes, thick platform PU midsole, thick brick-esque outsoles, textural suede uppers and coordinating laces. The sneaker’s uppers are entirely collapsible and stitched directly onto the soft, lightweight midsole, creating a stark and yet expressive look. The Kyasu lacks an insole or strobel or the fabric or non-woven material used to finish the bottom of a shoe upper.
Watch on FN
The Kyasu sneaker can stand upright, viscerally encapsulating Yamamoto’s avant-garde design vision. The sneaker comes in a variety of colorways, including a bright red and a contrasting neutral dark gray, among others.
Yohji Yamamoto is widely considered a master of avant-garde tailoring. The Tokyo and Paris-based designer often mixes Japanese aesthetics into his work. The campaign images were shot in urban New York, capturing the raw emotions of running through intimate vignettes that offer a glimpse into in-between moments of pause.
Adidas and Yohji Yamamoto’s Y-3 collaboration has spanned decades. The team effort debuted in October 2002 during Paris Fashion Week before an enthralled audience of fashion’s biggest names. The “3” in the name symbolizes Adidas’ famed three-striped motif and the union of both companies.
Adidas and Yohji Yamamoto’s collaborative Y-3 Kyasu sneaker is available now at adidas.com/y-3, on Confirmed, in-store, and through select retailers.
Shop Similar Styles Now
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.
Related:
Best Chunky Sneakers
