Back in January, news leaked of the upcoming partnership between adidas Originals and Toei Animation, known for their animated series including Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, One Piece, Digimon series, Saint Seiya, and many more. The duo have teamed up for the inaugural release of the adidas Originals X Dragon Ball Z collection.
Dragon Ball Z has been making waves all the way back since 1989, and has transcended the world of anime and manga, eventually reaching global icon status within contemporary pop-culture. The series was broadcast across the globe, including North America, Latin America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. While the schedule is set to feature an extended character list from the Dragon Ball Z animated series, the first drop features two silhouettes. The first drop pays homage to the classic battle between two of series’ most popular characters, Son Goku and Frieza. The battle on the Namek Planet spanned over 20 episodes, which is now regarded as a benchmark of anime culture.
Son Goku’s character is featured on the first silhouette with a remodeled adidas ZX 500 RM. The sneaker drops with an orange and blue colorway representing his iconic Ki. The design stays true to the original with a mesh and suede construction. The design also includes a ripped canvas on the 3-stripe mark and tongue reference to Son Goku’s ripped jumpsuit. The silhouette’s faded yellow mesh on the toebox and sides references the Super Saiyan transformation, adding to the fine detail on each of the shoes, which also shows off hidden details such as embroidery of Son Goku’s Flying Nimbus and the Kanji detail on the medial side.
The second silhouette from the first drop is represented in a striking purple and white colour palette of Son Goku’s arch-nemesis, Frieza. The design is added to the adidas Yung 1 silhouette. The canvas features Frieza’s own unmissable appearance, including a suede and textile construction upper, with pink accents scattered throughout. TPU components references Frieza’s glossy head and shoulder elements, with an embossed suede patch on the medial side representing Frieza muscular first form. As with the ZX 500 RM, the Yung 1 features hidden details across the canvas including on the tongue and sock liner.
The adidas Originals X Dragon Ball Z collection will feature a drop each month between September and December, with the first dropping on 29 September 2018. Each of the sneakers from the range will be presented in special collaborative packaging with individual Dragon Ball detail.
Pricing for the first adidas Originals X Dragon Ball Z drop is as follows:
- D97046 – ZX 500 RM – R2799
- D97048 – Yung 1 – R2499
For additional imagery from the first drop of adidas Originals X Dragon Ball Z collection, check it out here.
