NIGO's adidas Originals Footwear Collection is a Dream Come True

Japanese streetwear icon NIGO has officially unveiled his first adidas Originals footwear collection.

words // Brandon Richard

Japanese streetwear icon NIGO has officially unveiled his first adidas Originals footwear collection.

True to his passion for classic and vintage pieces, NIGO has reworked classic silhouettes from the vast adidas archive. The idea was to blend sportswear aesthetic with contemporary street style to create new street classics.

“I used to go to local sports shops — some place named Sports Hoshino or Hoshino Sports or something like that — if I heard that they had old RUN DMC model Superstars with the gold logo on the tongue,” NIGO told adidas. “And from then on I always liked and wore adidas.”

He added, “So for this collection, I’m sort of fulfilling a long-time dream.”

In addition to the Superstar, NIGO worked on the Shooting Star, ZX 500, Rivarly Hi and Mountain Marathon TR. Read on for a detailed look and description of each shoe from adidas.

adidas Originals by NIGO launches globally on Friday, October 24 at adidas.com/nigo.

 

Rivalry Hi:

NIGO pays tribute to classic 80s adidas basketball aesthetic with his own rendition of the Rivalry Hi model – specially curated by NIGO as the era’s definition of three-stripes style. The high-top model’s appearances on the feet of NBA stars has made it an iconic model of its time, and NIGO® brings it back with original street style for the Rivalry Hi NIGO.

The Rivalry Hi NIGO comes in a bold metallic upper with contrasting powder-blue three-stripes and collar as a nod to adidas’ infamous Micropacer model. The whole shoe is then rendered in premium un-dyed leather with suede overlays and finished with all of the original tech to offer a luxury lifestyle model of an original B-Ball classic.

An icon of the sport that continues to bring court and street culture together, the Rivalry Hi NIGO pays tribute to the roots of streetwear and the spirit that formed its foundation.

adidas Originals by NIGO Rivalry Hi Silver (1)

adidas Originals by NIGO Rivalry Hi Silver (2)


 

adidas Originals by NIGO Rivalry Hi Tan (1)

adidas Originals by NIGO Rivalry Hi Tan (2)


 

adidas Originals by NIGO Rivalry Hi Brown (1)

adidas Originals by NIGO Rivalry Hi Brown (2)


 

Mountain Marathon TR Mid

A mid-cut trail runner with street sensibilities, the Mountain Marathon TR Mid first released in the 80s and makes a bold return in 2014 for adidas Originals by NIGO.

Restoring the shoe’s EVA sole and wraparound Dellinger web and distinctive collar cut, NIGO takes the shoe’s rugged silhouette to the streets with premium undyed leather and a luxurious all-white rendition, accompanied by a one-to-one remake of the Mountain Marathon TR Mid in its original materials and colourway. Finished with flawless accents like two-tone stripes and the shoe’s distinctive tread pattern, the Mountain Marathon TR Mid NIGO takes the designer’s purist approach to the classics and blends it with a shoe of unforgettable three-stripes style.

adidas Originals by NIGO Mountain Marathon TR Mid Tan (1)

adidas Originals by NIGO Mountain Marathon TR Mid Tan (2)


 

adidas Originals by NIGO Mountain Marathon TR Mid Grey (1)

adidas Originals by NIGO Mountain Marathon TR Mid Grey (2)


 

adidas Originals by NIGO Mountain Marathon TR Mid White (1)

adidas Originals by NIGO Mountain Marathon TR Mid White (2)


 

Superstar 80s:

One of adidas Originals’ most iconic silhouettes gets the NIGO treatment for the Superstar 80s NIGO model. The Superstar 80s NIGO makes nods to the golden age of hip-hop with an foot-hugging inner-sock design and optional extra-fat laces that stay true to the Superstar 80s’ straightforward design and natural street style swagger.

NIGO then raises the bar with premium un-dyed leather uppers and a selection of three slick colourways that offer a court classic with all of the original bite. With its roots in counter-cultures from the sidewalks to the sidelines, it’s a shoe that was just waiting for NIGO's unique approach to aesthetic.

adidas Originals by NIGO Superstar 80s Tan (1)

adidas Originals by NIGO Superstar 80s Tan (2)


 

adidas Originals by NIGO Superstar 80s Green (1)

adidas Originals by NIGO Superstar 80s Green (2)


 

adidas Originals by NIGO Superstar 80s Black (1)

adidas Originals by NIGO Superstar 80s Black (2)


 

adidas Originals by NIGO Superstar 80s White (1)

adidas Originals by NIGO Superstar 80s White (2)


 

Shooting Star:

A straightforward low-top basketball silhouette that was originally released in the 1970s, the Shooting Star model is revived by NIGO for the adidas by NIGO collection.

Starting with a classic canvas upper and vulcanized tooling, the Shooting Star NIGO is updated with luxury leather three-stripes and a custom-designed foxing tape, finished with the classic trefoil branding on the collar. Iconic in its design and symbolic of the genesis of performance footwear, the Shooting Star NIGO is a true classic reinterpreted by a pioneer.

adidas Originals by NIGO Shooting Star Black (1)

adidas Originals by NIGO Shooting Star Black (2)


 

adidas Originals by NIGO Shooting Star White (1)

adidas Originals by NIGO Shooting Star White (2)


 

adidas Originals by NIGO Shooting Star Blue (1)

adidas Originals by NIGO Shooting Star Blue (2)


 

ZX 500:

As the shoe that started the ZX Series in 1984, the ZX 500 is ripe for reinvention by vintage enthusiast NIGO.

Blending classic running aesthetic with the designer’s unique perspective on style, the ZX 500 NIGO features premium un-dyed leather uppers with herringbone twill underlays and a unique colour-blocking design with gold accents – a subtle nod to the original colourway of the Instinct Hi model.

A carefully-considered blend of the past and the pioneer, the ZX 500 NIGO embodies the spirit of the adidas Originals by NIGO collection.

adidas Originals by NIGO ZX 500 Tan (1)

adidas Originals by NIGO ZX 500 Tan (2)


 

adidas Originals by NIGO ZX 500 Red (1)

adidas Originals by NIGO ZX 500 Red (2)


 

adidas Originals by NIGO ZX 500 Blue (1)

adidas Originals by NIGO ZX 500 Blue (2)