Taking inspiration from one of the most beloved (and most followed) animé series of this generation, Adidas Originals makes you relive your childhood afternoons with an exclusive collaboration featuring the storied match-ups between your favorite Dragon Ball Z characters that are set to be released in subsequent Kamehameha waves. Sorry, we couldn’t help it.
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No matter how far along you figure into this much-talked-about growing up phase that everyone seems to be so hung up on, there are stories that will never leave you. Keeping a good chunk of us rooted and entertained during our formative years, perhaps hypnotically drawn to the 90s-style television set, was the classic Japanese animé series, Dragon Ball Z.
What was then a kick-ass mix of saturated colors, tedious hand-drawn animation, and a narrative that was admittedly long-drawn-out, but nonetheless riveting series, Dragon Ball Z saw us temporarily transported to a fictitious and comically fictitious world that had everything from a heroic super-charged extraterrestrial race, an assortment of near-impossible villains (intergalactic conquerors, unnaturally powerful androids and seemingly impenetrable magical creatures, you name it), and a storyline that essentially studies human conditions and philosophies. Even in an era where animés reigned supreme, there was (and still is) nothing quite like it. So much so, this tale of good-versus-evil still persists to this day in many retellings and re-imaginations that continue to charm devoted fans, converts and new followers alike.
What started out as an incessant audible whisper of a rumor eventually revealed itself to be a matter of fact as Adidas Originals dropped its latest collaboration of the year. A highly anticipated released, the forward-thinking sportswear giant looks back into the archives of Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball Z and whips up a collection that centers on what really kept us hopelessly (and yes, unhealthily) glued to our TV sets—the fight match-ups.
Featuring three of the most iconic head-to-heads re-imagined in sneaker form, Adidas Originals has curated seven silhouettes from its portfolio, matching them to represent the characteristics of the most memorable heroes and villains of all time.
First off the Dragon Ball Z gate is easily one of the more recognizable battles, which sees Son Goku and Frieza go at it mercilessly in a debacle of epic proportions. Hard-pressed and nearly faltering against the sadistic tyranny of Frieza, this is a turning point for the raven-haired hero where he eventually transforms into a Super Saiyan for the first time. The Son Goku vs. Frieza battle is visibly rendered by the ZX 500 RM in an orange/collegiate royal and hi-res red colorway, and the Yung-1 with a running white, purple and clear lilac combo respectively.
The next battle sets of sneakers will follow a Kamehameha wave (sorry, we couldn’t help it) of releases: Son Gohan vs. Cell (Deerupt and Prophere), Vegeta vs. Majin Buu (Ultra Tech and Kamanda), and finally the Shenron is a dragon-inspired EQT Support Mid ADV PK.
Don’t wait for some next level Saiyan action to get your hands on these. Really, not even an annihilation-obsessed super villain should stop you. Trust us, this is one helluva of a collab you wouldn’t want to miss.
