Adidas and Brain Dead have retooled the white low-top sneaker to end ’em all—Stan Smiths—and they’re the best thing Adidas has put out in a long time.
Brain Dead can shake their psychedelic fairy dust over anything from hoodies to chalk bags and suddenly they become the coolest version of that item. Still, there’s something to be said about why I think Adidas needed this collaboration.
Similar to Pepsi, Burger King, and the DC cinematic universe, Adidas can’t seem to break free from their rival’s upper hand. In this case, the endless barrage of Nike’s successful collaborations and celebrity endorsements.
Travis Scott, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dior, Serena Williams, Takashi Murakami, and Lebron James are all part of the swoosh’s ensemble cast of million-dollar babies.
A brand is only as strong as its partnership roster these days. Adidas has their fair share of superstars on their roster, but the German athletic brand seems to have taken a bigger stance on nostalgia than up-and-coming talent that can reinvigorate the triple stripes.
Lego, Star Wars, Yu-Gi-Oh, Dragon Ball Z, The Simpsons, Hello kitty—the list goes on.
I’ll give credit where it’s due. The South Park Campus 80s with a terry cloth exterior and Towelie’s blood-shot eyes on the tongue are innovative, hilarious, and relevant to the source material. But with each cartoon guest appearance, I can only assume Adidas is less interested in bringing on hip youngsters to co-design shoes than they are referencing pop culture symbols.
Brash as I might sound, Adidas is headed in the right direction tapping Brain Dead. The LA-based streetwear brand has a charmingly non-conformist attitude that, paradoxically, everyone agrees is fresh.
The capsule features two reimagined Stan Smiths, and they stand out more than any of the previous limited-edition releases in recent memory.
Brain Dead has unveiled their version of the iconic tennis silhouette in two distinct colorways. The first features a ‘Vapour Pink’ base, highlighted with forest green accents, while the ‘Dark Blue’ version is paired with orange and light blue tones. As with most Stan Smiths, both pairs are crafted with leather uppers.
The tongue is an expected place for co-branding with any collaborative Stan Smith, with the tennis legend’s face replaced by Brain Dead’s cranium logo for in this delivery. The sneaker also takes a page from Brain Dead’s rough-around-the-edges personality in a very literal way with fuzzy laces and heel caps.
The side perforations are what registered the most. They’re the tennis sneaker’s most recognizable feature and besides the perforated “R” on the every Raf Simons edition, Adidas rarely capitalized on the opportunity to arrange those little holes in a different way. Even if the concept is the same with these, Brain Dead’s logo is far more interesting than a letter of the alphabet.
All in all, this is a top-notch pick from Adidas’ end, and I’m hoping to see more unexpected collaborations like such as this one in the months to come. The Brain Dead x Adidas Stan Smith is scheduled for release on September 7 through Brain Dead, Adidas, the Confirmed app, and select retailers worldwide. The retail price has not yet been announced, but it’s expected to be between $100-$200.
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