adidas Skateboarding has kept busy over the last two years, innovating for riders the likes of Tyshawn Jones and Lucas Puig. And while the Three Stripes’ subcategory will undoubtedly continue to explore new frontiers, it’s recently taken a trip down memory lane, unearthing the adidas Adimatic skate shoe from the 1990s.
Technology-wise, the low-top adidas Originals proposition doesn’t deliver revolutionary cushioning or traction, though it features partly-recycled construction across the upper – 25% of the components used are made with a minimum of 50% recycled content. Future iterations of the model may be updated with the brand’s tried-and-proven Lightstrike, adiPrene and/or Boost technology, but the first batch of retros include standard EVA foam. An all-over suede arrangement throughout the model’s top-half and wide profile 3-Stripes logos deliver a durable-enough build for even the wildest trick. The robust, partly-zig-zag midsole works in-tandem with a semi-translucent gum brown outsole for reliable and responsive grip, while also delivering a “blast from the past” given their retro design. Original “Green/Crystal White” styling still looks fresh 26 years later, and is accompanied by other 1990s-appropriate looks, including the silhouette’s widely-recognizable “Forest”-covered offering (which resembles adidas EQT releases of decades past). There’s no telling how adidas will handle other skate-ready shoes from its archives, but what’s certain is that the prospects are plentiful.
Firm stateside adidas.com release dates haven’t been disclosed by the brand, but that’s likely to change as spring and summer inch closer. In the meantime, enjoy official looks at a handful of colorways here below.
For more from the German sportswear behemoth, check out the Bad Bunny Response CL, the Puerto Rican megastar’s first entry into the “dad shoe” trend.