Before you can walk into the adidas archives – housed in its Herzogenaurach, Germany world headquarters – you have to attend a presentation from one of the archive workers. They explain what’s in there, how it’s collected, and how it’s been catalogued. If you’re lucky they might give you a quick history lesson while you’re at it. Next, you’re handed a pair of white cotton gloves with the three stripes running down the fingers to protect the shoes and clothes from any accidental dirt or damage. Then, finally, it’s time to cross the airtight threshold and literally walk into a room of history, from which many of your favourite contemporary adidas designs are created.
It’s from this history that the adidas Originals designers have pulled much of their inspiration for the new AW18 collection; the confident attitude exuded by iconic 90s pieces, as well as the playful colour palettes of blues, nudes, and pops of pink – all given a 2018 makeover.
In the lookbook, shot by Frank Lebon, the collection is modelled by a crew of streetcast kids. Tracksuits take on some new dimensions, with hooded ponchos and skirts added to the mix, alongside a stellar selection of puffa jackets for when the inevitable cold snap truly hits.
There’s also sneakers. Lots of sneakers. Further rollout of the mesh-structured Deerupt is on the horizon, along with the aggressive looking Prophere clearly becoming a big priority. The P.O.D. system (a combination of a pudular sole unit and BOOST technology) is making its full collection debut, but the most interesting is the one-of-one reissue of the Continental 80, a shoe that first released in the late 80s to much applause.
Check the gallery above to see the lookbook.