BAPE’s ongoing adidas Originals escapades are continuing through Fall/Winter 2023 as the NIGO-founded streetwear imprint has its say on one of the German label’s signature silhouettes: the Stan Smith.
The Japanese label, which has teamed up with adidas on a myriad of occasions to date, is celebrating its 30th anniversary by way of a year of collaborations, one of which being reuniting with adidas for the Stan Smith.
Since its initial launch in 1965, the adidas Stan Smith has become an icon in the world of sneakers, going from on-court tennis shoes to lifestyle staple. Such is the Stan Smith’s popularity, adidas even announced that the stripped-back silhouette was actually its best-selling sneaker of all time.
That being the case, you might assume that the pressure is on BAPE to deliver on such a famed sneaker — but it isn’t. Of course it isn’t. This is BAPE we’re talking about, a Japanese label that has more top-drawer adidas collaborations that anyone can shake a MSCHF Boot at.
For all of BAPE's adidas collabs, though, its new contrasting, black and white Stan Smiths are the first pair I'd actually wear. Seriously.
Reinventing the silhouette in typical BAPE fashion, the Stan Smith’s quintessential upper is updated with a synthetic leather upper made with 60 percent recycled materials and a tonal debossed and embossed SOLID CAMO pattern, while gold foil co-branded details sit atop an ABC CAMO Heel Mustache.
The sneakers are then completed with gold anniversary lace jewels and, when they drop on November 18, will arrive in a custom co-branded box.
As I said, this isn’t the first time BAPE and adidas have collaborated, although it might well be their most understated. Where BAPE usually plasters its camo pattern all-over the sneaker in question, this time around it's been a lot more subtle.
As a guy partial to a relatively plain sneaker, BAPE’s adidas Stan Smith is certainly a bit of me. Although for the BAPE loyalists — those after the looks the Japanese brand is known for — these are probably a tad safe.
