The symbiosis between fashion and sports has long been anticipated, and it seems to have found a perfect representation in the adidas x Prada partnership.
Their latest product line within their established alliance accentuates this fusion, bringing football, a globally popular sport, into the realm of high-end fashion.
In 2019, Prada, a brand synonymous with luxury, and adidas, a titan in sportswear, forged a pioneering alliance. The recent release of their fourth product drop, a line of soccer cleats, marks a new milestone in this collaboration. The endeavor blends adidas’ proficiency in soccer footwear with Prada’s quintessential luxury styling, introducing a game-changing collection that caters to both men and women.
Though Prada has a longstanding relationship with sports through its Linea Rossa performance collections, this signifies the brand’s first venture into football. The partnership seems to align with Prada and adidas’s proclaimed objectives of exploring heritage, technology, and innovation, defying traditional boundaries and fostering unique synergies.
The ”adidas Football for Prada” collection includes co-branded versions of adidas’ classic Predator Accuracy, Copa Pure and X Crazyfast football shoes. It will be available through the adidas CONFIRMED App, Prada’s e-commerce platform, and selected flagship stores in limited quantities.
Prominent football players have been roped in for the collection’s debut, showcasing these luxury boots on the field and in campaign imagery. Players like Catarina Macario and Paulo Dybala, Rafael Leão and Pedro González López, famously known as Pedri, will be sporting the Copa Pure, X Crazyfast and Predator Accuracy designs, respectively.
While the three shoe styles distinctly differ in their designs, they share common elements such as a leather upper and lining, Prada’s signature Linea Rossa red accents, and clean, solid soles in black, white, and silver respectively.
The X Crazyfast, true to its name, is a lightweight performance shoe, combining leather and mono-mesh materials. Its standout feature is the Prada triangle motifs, rendered with a translucent effect that is central to adidas’ X franchise.
The Copa Pure style, donned by world-renowned players, has a glossy silver leather upper, defined by an oversized leather lace covering and adidas’ Fusion Skin treatment. Its vintage aesthetics are enhanced with soft cushioning, a quilted effect on the forefoot, and a Torsion Frame Soleplate.
The Predator Accuracy design, on the other hand, boasts a first-ever nubuck finish for adidas, enveloped in Fusion Skin for a lighter footprint. The shoe is accented with Linea Rossa striped logos and several triangle-shaped soft spikes, serving as ball-control and ball-shooting tools.
In collaboration with Electronic Arts, the launch also features a gamification element, showcasing co-branded jerseys and shorts in the FIFA 23 Ultimate Team video game.
This drop follows the release of the adidas for Prada Re-Nylon collection in early 2022, which marked a pivotal shift towards sustainable production for Prada. It is the most recent addition to a series of collaborations that started in December 2019 with the Prada Superstar and Prada Bowling bag for Adidas in a small run of 700 unisex pieces, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the adidas Superstar.
The ensuing phase witnessed the introduction of the A+P Luna Rossa 21 footwear, sported by the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli squad. Drawing inspiration from the design of the AC75 Luna Rossa vessel and previous Prada and adidas sneakers, this shoe presented a novel spin on classic designs.
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