The last few years have seen ultra-practical trends explode, spurred on by an uptick in healthy pursuits in the great outdoors as the pandemic rendered much of the globe sofa-bound. But this year, trail shoes officially dethroned dad kicks as the de-facto anti-fashion fashion shoe.
Yet as is the case with every trend as it grows, many brands without the technological credentials scrambled to throw their hot takes into the drop lists. And while we're all for creative takes, the unfortunate result of this was that some seriously credible footwear fell by the wayside; shoes with specs that should've elevated them above the rest.
adidas' Roverend Adventure and Orketro are two such silhouettes that haven't received the attention they deserve. These underrated sneakers are the perfect marriage of technical know-how and head-turning aesthetics. And while they differ from each other significantly in terms of style, they both tick all the boxes for carrying you from city streets to muddier terrain.
When it comes to materials, the Roverend Adventure is a complex beast. The foam tooling has been milled to impressive effect, mimicking topographical lines to create an overall eroded, rock-like look. The upper is a blend of mesh, leather, and a TPU cage that wraps around the textile upper like an exoskeleton. This season, the silhouette arrives in two colorways that also invoke vivid landscape imagery — burnt orange and browns, and an icy blue and grey.
The Orketro, meanwhile, is the one for when you want to get noticed. Pulling design queues from the 1990s, the Orketro appears hyper-audacious thanks to its piercing blue colorway, flame-like overlays, reflective underlays, and inverted 3-stripes. They're a statement, for sure, but they're extremely supporting, too, thanks to the layered upper and rubber outsole that has been crafted to encase your feet in comfort.
The Orktero and Roverend Adventure are just two of many hit sneakers dropping on adidas' Confirmed app. Take a deeper dive into the new collection here.
