Buy: BEAMS' site and stores from July 23, END.'s website from July 29
Editor's Notes: adidas Originals must really be feeling the "Spirit of the Games," because it's following up its Olympics-themed 2020 sneaker drop with a new lineup of retro runners indebted to the 1984 Los Angeles Games. This time, Japanese retailer BEAMS oversaw the lineup, remixing the old school Spirit of the Games sneaker in time for the 2021 Tokyo Games.
1984 saw the Olympic Games being held in LA for the second time. The city first hosted the event in 1932 and is currently scheduled to host the games for a third time in 2028, all things being equal. The mid-'80s Summer Games was a big moment for adidas, as it was the first year that the sportswear brand became an Olympic sponsor. Naturally, it dropped plenty of thematic merch to commemorate and cash in, including the unique Spirit of the Games sneaker.
A fairly understated running silhouette, the Spirit of the Games was offered as a low- and mid-top. It recalls some of adidas' classic ZX silhouettes in its clean lines and sleek, minimally paneled upper. The ones that dropped in 2020 were pretty faithful to the OG design.
However, in a similar style to BEAMS' fun flips of shoes from Nike, Crocs, and DC, its collaborative Spirit of the Games pack opts for a playful, yet premium, rework of the base model that's a little more out-there than last year's drop.
All realized in white grain leather, BEAMS' three Spirit of the Games sneakers boast typical laces, velcro straps, and even laceless vamps, all yielding entirely different looks. The lateral-side "Spirit of the Games" logo is rendered tonal for a clean finish.
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