Mark: Kawasaki x adidas
Model: ZX22 KAWASAKI
Release date: November 24 at adidas, November 25 at Kawasaki
Price: $150
To buy: adidas website and app, Kawasaki website
Editor’s notes: adidas Originals and Kawasaki aren’t pumping breaks from their partnership just yet, as the pair have joined forces for their second collaboration.
A collaboration between a motorcycle company and a sportswear brand? It’s not as far as you think.
You see, the adidas ZX series, the German brand’s sportier shoe line, takes its name from Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX motorcycle. The first ZX design, the ZX500 sneaker, was based on the Japanese brand’s famous motorcycle concept.
For their latest tie, adidas and Kawasaki are releasing a ZX22 KAWASAKI sneaker model, which essentially continues to honor the bike that started it all.
Like the previous drop of the two, the ZX22 KAWASAKI arrives stamped with the “Ninja” branding, as seen on Kawasaki’s popular run. Meanwhile, the shoe’s green and silver hues are a direct nod to Kawasaki’s beloved color scheme.
Three reflective stripes are adorned with the sleek metal upper, made from recycled materials. Down below, the shoe’s BOOST midsole and chunky heel give the shoe a chunky look (reminds me of a YEEZY BOOST 700, just minus the YEEZY, of course).
adidas tapped Kawasaki for their first collaboration in April, releasing the ZX 8000 and ZX 5K BOOST sneakers inspired by iconic Kawasaki vehicles.
Along with their intertwined histories, adidas and Kawasaki form a natural alliance, as roots of innovation and futuristic concepts drive the design processes of ZX sneakers and Kawasaki powersports vehicles.
As for the pair’s collaboration, which I suspect is far from over, I like to think of it as adidas’ way of saluting the Japanese vehicle brand, which paved the way for its line of ZX shoes.
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