Are we finally witnessing a changing of the guard in the world of sneakers? Has the ever-dominant Nike conglomerate lost it suffocating in the industry where they’ve been most common over the past three decades? And finally have Kanye West’s lyrics came full circle and “The Geez has jumped Jumpman”; and in another team at that?
These are some very bold stances on sneaker culture, and lots of aficionados myself included, would quickly discredit anyone with these views. But, after further review and searching at everything in detail, it may be more rational than you think.
Adidas has all the time been a major player in the world of athletics with its products, and has all the time been a staple in sneaker culture. Adidas is normally seen as a classic company with lots of clean silhouettes that influence culture. Over the last decade obviously they have not seen their “hyped success” that Nike has received because of their signature line, limited releases, collaborations, and SB line. But, with Adidas now probably the most stuck influential and controversial person in his era, it seemed that everything was about to change.
Looking into detail, Adidas has in last few years revamped to appeal to a more high-end market. With Raf Simons, Jeremy Scott, Rick Owens, Y-3, Big Sean, 2Chainz, Pusha-T, Teyana Taylor, Adidas may have struck gold. These designer collaborations and lines have offered perspectives, and alternatives that Nike hasn’t really dived into yet. Also, Adidas has taken the page from Nike by offering these lines in additional limited availability, which has created great hysteria around them.
Going over what we alluded to, this year might be HUGE for Adidas. Those who are “In The Know” and “OG’s” do not discriminate and all the time have supported by many brands. Look to recently All-stars release; NIKE LOST. Years ago Adidas released a nice collaboration with Wale at All-Stars That weekend was a good pickup, but not a game changer. Nike’s signature line is its best year yet for the ASG. We’re not saying that Adidas’ basketball line is far better either, but their “Original” releases aren’t only highly coveted, they’re highly regarded. Adidas released their Xeno Package, consisting of Metro Attitude, Superstar, and Flux; in addition to the third installment from Kanye West. The first Adidas release of Yeezus was not only left to a few lucky early adopters by Ye himself, it was said to be “Hopefully available to as much, anyone, and everyone who wants it”.
Some people might say “So….that doesn’t mean anything….he just one release”, but has anyone noticed the sense of urgency from Nike? That weekend they released a All-Stars LeBronKobe, Kyrie, KD, Hyperchase (James Harden), Hyperrev (Paul George), Jordan CP3, XX9, Melo 11, Superfly, AND two pairs of Jordan 10s. Factor in Jordan’s recent releases (Columbias, Oreos), and what appears to be new Kobe, LeBron, and KD every week, it is clear something is up. In my opinion maybe too much. It seems every three days and, a minimum of twice a week, there’s a larger signature release. It can be a bit overwhelming, and is certainly near saturation.
In the past there were gaps in some releases, but now we appear to be bombarded by new “Heat” every week. Is it because it has so many plans? Or could it be because of the possible pressure they received from the competition? With the quality of last year’s release, and collaboration of everybody besides Nike, most probably. Time will tell and when it does, I intend to tell you about it.
