A story I’ve been tracking and calling “Guardians of the Shoe” in my notes is the Adidas and Guardians of the Galaxy team-up.
There are some teaser pictures but until recently not much else on the Adidas.com/us/gotg page beyond a sign-up form.
And, of course, if the /US/ part of the URL means the mashup is for United States customers only, then it’s less of a story. Good news! It’s not. The page now asks where you might need shipping, too – although picking UK currently breaks the site for me.
It’s not an error, not the part that offers to ship to the UK. However, as Marvel’s senior director in product development, Eric Monacelli has confirmed the UK and elsewhere release.
Indeed, here’s the Adidas.co.uk/gotg page in place.
What’s on offer from Adidas are Guardians of the Galaxy themed trailers, heavy on the colour but light on the flourish. Reebok’s Ghostbuster trainers had teeth, and slime and other flourishes. It looks like the Guardians of the Shoe will be more subdued.
The update made me look at the landing page again and note gamer logos there; Eidos Montreal and Square Enix. The conclusion is that the shoes will be released to support Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy game.
I found some extra insight there. On a week old press release on Square Enix UK, I found descriptions of some of the shoes from Adidas’s senior designer of exclusive footwear, James Liu. On the games site.
Star-Lord – Forum Hi 84 and Forum Mid
Star-Lord has an old-school charm and is an expert in galactic combat and battle techniques; similarly, the Forum mid has an undeniable retro appeal and is a proven contender in its own area of expertise.”
Gamora – ZX 2K Boost 2.0
Gamora is known across the universe as being a warrior with unmatched strength, speed and skill – and also for her lineage to the MCU game-changer Thanos. The ZX 2K Boost, the most recent silhouette to bear the iconic ZX moniker, is sleek and sharp like Gamora’s blades and takes colour and material references from her armour and appearance.”
Drax – Ozelia
Drax is fierce and headstrong, with superhuman strength and a formidable human-mutate physique. The Ozelia, is built like a classic sneaker but features amplified characteristics like a maximal midsole and moulded panels and lines that draw similar visuals to Drax’s brutish form.”
Groot – NMD R1
To capture the essence of the plant-life superbeing that is Groot, we started with the rugged trail version of the modern classic NMD R1. Unique to the style is a lugged outsole which helps to naturally grip the floor, and the mud-guard that runs along the bottom of the shoe helps protect the foot. Adding to this, we used a 2-tone knit in shades of brown as a nod to Groot’s roots for the upper, and an embroidered detail featuring ‘I AM GROOT’ in an alien language featured in the game.”
Rocket – ZX 1K Boost
Rocket Racoon is a weapons specialist, elite marksman, and master tactician, who takes on amplified abilities from its racoon counterparts. We started with the ZX 1K Boost silhouette as a base – it’s a modern interpretation of a familiar style, using the latest technology for optimal performance. We added technical features like speed lacing, and high-vis reflective elements inspired by Rocket Racoon’s weaponry.”
Quick Links
- Guardians of the Shoe/Galaxy on Adidas.com and Adidas.co.uk.
- Other Adidas stockists: JD Sport, Asos, Urban Outfitters, Sports Direct, John Lewis and Walmart.
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