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The 10 Best Adidas Collaborations of All Time

by Jamie Wilson

Being one of the largest sportswear brands in the world, Adidas have a long list of collaborations under their belt. We’ve rounded up our ten favourite team efforts from the brand over the years, and put them in an easy to read numbered list. 

From high end designers such as Rick Owens, to environmental awareness organisations such as Parley, Adidas has collaborated with everyone who’s anyone. However if you’re looking for the best out there, the internet can be packed full of information, so we’ve sorted out the good from the bad and put them in a comprehensive guide for you.

10. Adidas x Yohji Yamamoto

Year of Release: 2002
Originally Launched At: Adidas
Buy Similar At: Y-3

Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto has a long and impressive history in the fashion world. In late 2002, he was approached by Adidas to design a collection for them, which then turned into a long term partnership. Collaborative efforts between the two parties are released under the name Y-3 (“Y” representing Yohji and “3” representing Adidas’ three stripes). Notable efforts from Y-3 include the ever popular Qasa High silhouette (pictured), the Y-3 Boost and their collections of apparel.

9. Adidas x Jeremy Scott

Year of Release: 2008
Originally Launched At: Adidas
Buy Similar At: eBay

Although the pair originally collaborated briefly in 2002, the 2008 collection that Adidas released with American fashion designer Jeremy Scott is by far their most notorious. Scott is known for his crazy and bold designs – he’s currently the creative director of Moschino. He released a series of high top sneakers with Adidas, all featuring designs like we’d never seen before. Oversized wings, giant teddy bears and even gorillas all made an appearance. The pack wasn’t for everyone, and is definitely not easy to pull off. Due to this, it sat in stock in a lot of stores and even hit sales. However, we still believe it’s earned its place in our list, due to it’s iconic status.

8. Adidas x Rick Owens

Year of Release: 2014
Originally Launched At: Adidas
Buy Similar At: Ssense

Rick Owens is without a doubt one of the biggest names in fashion, and three years ago saw him team up with Adidas for a range of different silhouettes. The collaboration has been ongoing since, however we recently received the news that the pairs FW17 collection will be their last. Their work together features exaggerated soles, mainly monochromatic tones and luxury detailing.

7. Adidas x Stella McCartney

Year of Release: 2005
Originally Launched At: Adidas
Buy Similar At: Ssense

Adidas and Stella McCartney have had an ongoing partnership for many years now. The designer started off producing just women’s sportswear for the brand, but over the years it’s expanded into all different ranges, including men’s collections too. The iconic feature that is seen throughout the footwear here is the gap between the midsole and the upper. It’s a feature that’s never been showcased by anyone before, and really makes these silhouettes stand out from the crowd.

6. Adidas x Palace Skateboards

Year of Release: 2015
Originally Launched At: Palace
Buy Similar At: eBay

British skate brand Palace have had unprecedented success in recent years, so much so that they’ve landed a constant partnership with Adidas. The two have released several silhouettes in the past two years, and multiple colourways of each. The most successful of these silhouettes has to be the Palace Pro. A brand new model designed exclusively for Palace, and with skateboarding in mind.

5. Adidas x RUN DMC

Year of Release: 2013
Originally Launched At: Adidas
Buy Similar At: eBay

Run DMC made the Adidas tracksuit and shell-toe combination huge after sporting them in their video for “Walk This Way”. The Superstar shell-toe is an iconic silhouette as it is, and the hip hop duo only made it bigger. It only made sense for Run DMC to get their own signature Adidas sneaker – although it did take over twenty years after the release of their hit single. The Run DMC Superstar can be found relatively easily on eBay, and doesn’t demand a huge price tag – so if you’re after a pair we’d advise heading there.

4. Adidas x BAPE

Year of Release: 2016
Originally Launched At: Adidas
Buy Similar At: eBay

Adidas and A Bathing Ape have collaborated several times over the years, however the most notorious of the bunch has to be the recently released camo NMD’s. They feature Bape’s iconic camo print all over the upper of the sneaker and the ever popular Boost sole. Upon release, the sneakers sold out instantly, and never got graced with a restock. There are many pairs out there on the market right now, but they’re not cheap. It’s also best to be aware that these are a highly faked collaboration, so make sure you’ve done your research before investing. Remember – if a price is too good to be true, it probably is.

3. Adidas x Parley

Year of Release: 2016
Originally Launched At: Adidas
Buy Similar At: eBay

Parley are a global organisation dedicated to preserving the natural beauty that is the world’s oceans. In 2016, they joined forces with Adidas to create a limited edition sneaker created entirely of recycled ocean plastics. So in effect, they created the world’s first eco-friendly sneaker. Of course, it was also great looking, and a massive hit with sneakerheads. The pair have continued their partnership and have launched several more sneakers since the OG rendition.

2. Adidas x Pharrell Williams

Year of Release: 2016
Originally Launched At: Adidas
Buy Similar At: eBay

Pharrell Williams is a hugely successful hip-hop artist, known for his fame with the collective N.E.R.D. The model of choice was a custom version of the NMD. Featuring bright colour schemes and large text printed across the upper, these sure are statement sneakers. They sold out instantly and were a big hit amongst hypebeasts. If you want a pair now, the resell market has plenty of these sneakers, but be prepared to pay the price.

1. Adidas x Raf Simons

Year of Release: 2013
Originally Launched At: Adidas
Buy Similar At: eBay

Adidas first collaborated with Raf Simons in 2013 on the original Ozweego runner. Since then their partnership has continued and included various different silhouettes. The Stan Smith, New Runner and further Ozweego models have all been huge successes. The current Ozweego III is one of the most desirable sneakers in fashion right now, and all sorts of crazy colourways have been produced.

Feature image from Pinterest

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