Prada, Adidas Debut Latest Drop: Soccer Boots
MILAN — Although signs that soccer and fashion had found their sweet spot were already widespread, Prada and Adidas’ latest release under their long-term collaboration underscores the trend even further.
The luxury brand and the sportswear giant, which sealed a partnership in 2019 and have since released three product drops, are teaming up on soccer cleats, combining Adidas’ heritage in soccer footwear and apparel and Prada’s luxury codes.
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Although Prada’s link with the sports world is not new, especially via its Linea Rossa high-performance collections, it marks the first time the brand is associating itself with soccer. The move seems to stay true to the guidelines Prada and Adidas declared introducing their partnership, geared toward “investigating the realms of heritage, technology and innovation — and to challenge conventional wisdom through unexpected strategies.”
Intended for men and women, the collection includes co-branded rendition of Adidas’ Predator Accuracy, Copa Pure and X Crazyfast soccer shoes.
The collection hits the Adidas Confirmed App and Prada’s e-commerce site, in addition to select flagships on Thursday. Each style will be available in limited quantities.
Marking the collection’s debut, Adidas and Prada have enlisted some world-renowned players to wear the boots on the fields and appear in dedicated campaign imagery. They include Catarina Macario and Paulo Dybala wearing the Copa Pure design, Rafael Leão to be seen in the X Crazyfast, and Pedro González López, known as Pedri, donning the Predator Accuracy shoes.
Although distinctively different from one another, the three shoe styles share a leather upper part and lining, red accents in nods to Prada’s Linea Rossa signature color and clean, solid soles, in black, white and silver, respectively.
The X Crazyfast, as the name suggests, is a lightweight, performance-heavy shoe rendered in a combination of leather and mono-mesh material, the latter embellished with Prada triangles, finished with a translucent effect that is core to Adidas’ X franchise. The Linea Rossa red logo adorns the tongue and the heel of the boots, which feature a lightweight sole plate geared at enhancing acceleration.
The Copa Pure style, with its shimmering silver leather upper part, is defined by an oversize leather lace covering and the integration of Adidas’ Fusion Skin treatment for a seamless and less permeable skin. Soft cushioning and a quilted effect on the forefoot, as well as the Torsion Frame Soleplate, contribute to the old-school, vintage aesthetics.
Finally, the Predator Accuracy boasts a nubuck finish, a first for the sportswear brand, wrapped in Fusion Skin for a lighter imprint. Its all-black design is punctuated by the Linea Rossa striped logo running up the tongue and heel and several triangle-shaped soft spikes adorning the shoe’s forefoot and laterals, intended not only as design accents but also as ball-controlling and ball-shooting tools.
The launch comprises a gamification element, as the two brands have teamed with Electronic Arts’, or EA, FIFA 23 Ultimate Team video game to showcase co-branded jerseys and shorts in solid black and white.
The fourth installment of the collaboration, this drop follows the release of a collection of apparel, footwear and accessories in early 2022. Called Adidas for Prada Re-Nylon collection, it included the Adidas Originals Forum silhouette, both in the high-top and low-top versions, as well as a track coat, tracksuit, sweater, a hooded jacket and a bucket hat, in addition to six bags. It also marked the shift of the entire Prada production from virgin nylon to Re-Nylon.
The first collaboration between the two brands bowed in December 2019, comprising the Prada Superstar and the Prada Bowling bag for Adidas in a small run of 700 unisex pieces. The launch also marked the 50th anniversary of the Adidas Superstar.
The next step saw the launch of the A+P Luna Rossa 21 shoes worn by the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team. The shoe was inspired by the design of the AC75 Luna Rossa boat, and Prada and Adidas sneakers from the past.
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