adidas x Metropolitan ZX 8000
Arriving as part of recently-revived Metropolitan USA’s second collaboration with powerhouse adidas, the first being the ‘19 release of their snakeskin Superstar 80 model, their creative remix on the classic ZX 8000 silhouette officially unveils an energetic ‘90s aesthetic that reflects all there was to love about street, skate and underground tuner-car culture from days gone. After a 20 year hiatus, HUF-founder Keith Hufnagel and LA-based artist Hanni El Khatib are once again breathing revolutionary new direction into the once DLX-run, Metropolitan. With a passion to maintain the brand’s raw east-coast vibes, the duo pump energy, punchy graphics and untamed neon colourways into their latest SS20 release.
The infamous ZX series was launched in 1984 by Jacques Chassaing and Markus Thaler and stemmed from a desire to fulfil the needs of adidas’ diverse runner-based audience with something trendy and performance-driven. Accelerating through the 00s series and into the 000s series after the 1988 Olympic games, iconic silhouettes such as the ZX 8000 and the ZX 9000 arrived, both innovation-focused and functionally grounded, to deliver a legacy adored by a loyal fan-base eager to step out with the latest trending sneakers. This breakthrough in design-style pathed the way for adidas’ now enhanced Torsion and Soft Cell Systems, solidifying the ZX collection as home to some of the most memorable and technical triple-stripe lifestyle silhouettes to date.
Flash forward to 2019 and we continue to see the reimagination of these classic styles such as the forward-thinking ZX 4000 4D hybrid that takes the ‘89 silhouette and combines it with a 4-dimensional outsole from the famed Futurecraft initiative, whilst the eagerly awaited ZX 8000 Kirschblütenallee Pack is set to celebrate Japanese-German relations with two unique colourways in honour of the cherry blossom.
Taking the shell of the classic ‘89 silhouette and injecting it with an undeniably assertive attitude, these sneakers have been re-constructed with a combination of ZX mesh and Honey buck leather to successfully blend contemporary and classic aesthetic, whilst the 3M flashes and reflective leather toe overlays hark back to the founding duo’s passion for tricked out motors. Designed with a bold black, after-dark persona, these retro-inspired shoes delve deep into the ZX archive to revive the iconic Torsion midsole and solid heel brace, whilst the bursts of neon colouring, the ripstop tongue and rubberised trefoil label help to define these re-mastered lace-ups with their own identity. To celebrate the collaboration, the icy clear outsoles encase iconic ‘Metropolitan’ script-style branding to the soles of each foot and fuzzy, vibrant neon sock liners combine what’s fun and what’s technical.
Originally founded in 1994 by DLX Distribution, Metropolitan’s time on the skate scene was short-lived and the label shortly dissolved in 1996. A team rider for Metropolitan in the early ‘90s, OG HUF-founder Keith Hufnagel swooped in to co-revive the brand in 2017 stating “this is my returning to my roots; it’s me giving back to skateboarding and keeping a brand alive”. Once and always a hallmark of NYC’s skateboarding scene, the past few years have graced the bright-eyed brand with a number of stand out collections as well as their latest “DWYCK” (Do What You Can Kid) NYC-based film in partnership with adidas for Thrasher Magazine.
The adidas x Metropolitan ZX 8000 release this Saturday, March 21st at midnight alongside a capsule collection of apparel.
Shop all adidas Skateboarding at Flatspot.
