adidas SS20: Collection Overview
Leading on from 2019 which was noticeably sport and streetwears biggest year yet with unexpected collaborations between luxury fashion houses, references to practical activewear and the continual rise of skateboarding in mainstream media. The start of the new decade sees these trends set to continue in the lead up to the 2020 Olympics which introduces competitors from climbing, skateboarding and surfing for the first time.
adidas Bouclette Polo Sweatshirt | adidas Superstar
Progressing on from the idea of ‘urban expedition’ which saw activewear becoming progressively more refined but remaining just as prominent, for SS20 adidas has taken elements from training apparel and incorporated them within styles inspired by elegant outerwear. Although pieces such as the Corduroy Jacket and BCL Polo Sweatshirt both equally suit wear for active and smarter events, fabrics remain practical and hardwearing and include fine wale corduroy treated with a durable water repellent coating, recycled polyester and cotton blends. The spring colour shades of choice for the season include: deep tech indigo, mesa brown and spice yellow which play into the transition between dark winter shades and the progression into spring whilst enhancing signature triple white stripe decoration.
adidas Pinwheel T-Shirt | adidas Corduroy Jacket
A stand out piece from the collection, the previously mentioned Corduroy Jacket presents design cues from adidas’ historic archive with navy, white and red striped, ribbed cuffs around the neckline and sleeves and a small embroidered trefoil emblem on the left side of the chest. Unnoticeable until the rain sets in, the selected mesa brown fine wale corduroy has a durable water repellent finish which helps to protect the fabric over time whilst a contrasting smooth fabric panel runs along the top of the shoulders and sleeves edged with neat white piping. On a similar note, the Cord Pants also utilise cotton corduroy for its natural hard wearing finish with a half elasticated waistband that can be adjusted using a climbing-style belt and subtle decoration that includes blue piping along the outer edge of either leg and an embroidered trefoil logo. Headwear remains practical with these aesthetics translated into 5-panel styles, adorned with a single embroidered trefoil emblem and slim piping around the front of the crown.
adidas Oval Sweatshirt | adidas Cord Pants
adidas Modular Quarter Zip Sweatshirt
Whilst branding has been kept to a minimum on outerwear and trousers, a simple but effective Pinwheel graphic has been introduced across crewneck sweatshirts, hoodies and 100% cotton t-shirts and presents a playful arrangement of trefoil emblems within a circle. Tapping into ‘psych surf’ vibes which link with 2020 being the 50th anniversary of Woodstock festival, for a more expressive take on adidas typography the Oval T-Shirt displays a vibrant retro style disc with a multicoloured background and lightning bolt lines. Reminiscent of classic adidas sportswear, the Modular Quarter Zip Sweatshirt features triple white stripes along the top of the shoulders and side panel inserts that encourage a greater range of movement within a casual pullover design.
As for footwear we’ve been eagerly awaiting the Busenitz Vulc II model which incorporates an array of technical skateboarding focused updates including an all-suede single panel toe box, Geofit padded collar for an anatomical fit, rubber heel clip for stability and a molded adiPRENE sockliner for comfort. Additionally, the outsole has been reinforced whilst raised foxing tape protects the Geoflex outsole and a HexFlex tread pattern sits underfoot. Accompanying this, a variety of colour updates across the original Busenitz model and casual 3MC refresh either design in similar yellow and indigo tones seen across apparel, with additional flashes of solar red.
This also includes two exclusive colourways of either style, available as part of an exclusive limited skate store release which shows adidas’ ongoing support for communities, crews and collectives. Bringing extra effect to signature elements of either style, black suede uppers and crisp white leather overlays are met with bold red details and the 3MC features a full length blue colour block tread.
In the run-up to the new decade adidas worked with a number of influential brands and individuals to express their continuous movements within fashion and performance wear. Not only the year that marks the 50th anniversary of Woodstock Festival, 2020 is also the 50th birthday of the iconic adidas Superstar footwear model. In the run up to the new year collaborations with the likes of London based team rider Blondey McCoy (adidas Rider series) and luxury fashion house Prada resulted in impactful materials being applied to the timeless silhouette which has earnt it a reputation with many calling it ‘the world’s most iconic shoe’.
Following on from their goal of using only recycled plastics by 2024, like many big name brands adidas are striving to become more sustainably conscious within each of their collections and it is now commonplace for some garments to be constructed from a combination of recycled and virgin fabrics; indistinguishable from previous ‘conventional’ finishes. Not only good news for conscious consumers and the planet, this is sure to lead to some intriguing, innovative designs that put adidas’ creativity to the test.
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