This adidas Sneaker Stares Minimalism Straight In The Face
Japanese pop artist Keiichi Tanaami’s paintings are surreal, maximalist compositions. So, no surprise that Keiichi Tanaami’s adidas Superstar collaboration is about as surreal and maximalist as a sneaker can get.
The legendary, 88-year-old artist has teased an upcoming collaboration with adidas’ Originals to celebrate a new retrospective exhibition opening on August 8 titled Keiichi Tanaami: Adventures in Memory at The National Art Center, Tokyo.
Limited to only 205 pairs worldwide, the adidas Superstar is reimagined with embellishments that turn the classic shell-toed sneaker into a piece of art depicting a face.
Two eyes are added to the top of the shoe, a multi-colored nose covers the laces, and a pink-lipped mouth is placed on top of the toebox, providing the sneaker with a look reminiscent of one of Tanaami’s masks.
Alongside its large, 3-dimensional decorations, the shoes also come with blue and pink-colored wavy lines along the midsole and (as is necessary for all good art pieces) the artist's signature, found on the inside heel of the shoe.
Thanks to the small number of these sneakers made, it won’t be easy to cop a pair of Keiichi Tanaami’s outlandish Superstars. However, if you are an adiCLUB member, you can win a pair by signing up for a raffle that opens on July 31 and runs for seven days.
Those who visit Tanaami’s exhibition at The National Art Center, Tokyo will also have the chance to win a pair, provided they spend a minimum of 2,000 yen in the museum shop.
During a time of wild adidas Superstar releases, which include CLOT turning the sneakers into dress shoes and colorful bubble shells enveloping the entire shoe, the Superstar Tanaami is the wildest of the lot.
