A lot of speculation around the new Wales Bonner x adidas collection has been circulating recently without any official information about its anticipated release from either brand — well, that is until now.
The adidas Originals by Wales Bonner SS24 collection is arriving and, confirming what we already saw in some leaked imagery, it follows much of the same formula that has made previous collaborations such a success.
The release nods to adidas’ sporting archives, a touchpoint for every collaboration between the two brands so far, expressed in familiar forms such as thigh-grazing, running-inspired shorts or color-blocked T-shirts decorated with adidas’ signature three stripes.
There are also bright matching tracksuits and sweater vests, both staples in the two brand's previous collections, however, it's not all business as usual: a long, more formal beige jacket is included in the selection alongside two sneaker models that the London-based designer hasn't taken on before.
One of the biggest surprises is that this collection includes the Samba Millennium, AKA the MN, a slightly more chunky-soled and less-popularly-known Samba model. And it is on this shoe where Wales Bonner’s more experimental side really shows.
The new Samba Millennium includes curved stitching added to the toe box and a two-tone upper where the heel portion is in a contrasting color and fabric. On one of the two colorways, a blue pony hair heel offers a hairy upgrade akin to the previous Wales Bonner Samba releases (there’s no news on the snakeskin pair that was previously leaked, though).
There is also the return of the original Samba, a sneaker model that Wales Bonner’s collaboration has helped to popularise, arriving in two colorways: there is a brown or an off-white pair to pick from, both decorated with blue detailing.
And finally, arriving alongside the quartet of Samba sneakers, are two reworked takes on the SL 76 sneaker, a retro runner with a slim shape similar to the SL 72 model that Wales Bonner has often worked on.
This collaboration builds on Wales Bonners’ SS24 collection inspired by long-distance runners in Ethiopia and Kenya. It is named “The Rift Valley Runners,” a reference to the Home of Champions in Iten, Kenya, and the location of the collection’s campaign which utilizes adidas' runners as models.
According to a statement from adidas, each piece in this drop has: “The spirit of the marathon at its heart.”
Judging by previous Wales Bonner and adidas collections, the latest release from the two won’t sit on shop shelves for long when it releases on May 21, arriving at select retailers including the Highsnobiety Shop.
First debuted in 2020, Wales Bonner and adidas’ seasonal releases have become one of the most successful link-ups in an era of collaboration saturation. And it's showing no sign of slowing down with next season’s adidas Superstar collaboration already having been teased.
