NEIGHBORHOOD Played Mad Scientist With adidas' NMD
When adidas' NMD debuted in 2015, it was the hottest sneaker on the planet. This was a simpler time, when sneakers just had to be fitted with a BOOST sole unit to get people to care. Nearly a decade later, the NMD is more of a fond memory than a heavy hitter, but no one tell NEIGHBORHOOD.
Shin Takizawa, NEIGHBORHOOD's founder, remains fascinated by the silhouette, having cranked out no fewer than four renditions of adidas' NMD sneaker in various collaborative forms.
On May 24, he revealed NEIGHBORHOOD and adidas' latest NMD team-up, presumably rolling out some time in 2023.
This sneaker two-pack comprises both a fairly rote iteration of the comparatively contemporary NMD_S1 NH, stitched with jagged white stripes as NBHD is wont to do, and a borderline insane moc-toed pull-on boot, solely fastened with a magnetic Fidlock buckle.
Takizawa has apparently dubbed this Frankenstein'd high-top sneaker the NMD_S1 NH "BOOTS" — how fitting.
What a wild way to reinvent a nearly decade-old sneaker! Even if it's not to my taste, I'm at least a fan of the ingenuity and so is Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, going off of Takizawa's IG comment section.
I'm instantly reminded of Mizuno's wild Wave Infinity Moc one-off from the aughts, a perfectly imperfect moccasin sneakerboot that was the subject of a Mountain Research collaboration but otherwise received little if any buzz outside of folks fascinated by bizarre sneakers, myself included.
NEIGHBORHOOD's adidas NMD pull-on boot is more technical, in comparison, what with its high-spec sole unit and fancy magnetic forefoot strap, but you can see the throughlines.
It's basically just up the NEIGHBORHOOD and Pharrell's Human Race to keep these trek-inspired adidas NMD boots coming, for better or worse.
Can't say they're my cup of tea, necessarily, but shoes like this are at least something fresh, which is better than all the collaborative retreads we get otherwise.
If you're down with Takizawa's vision, NEIGHBORHOOD's latest adidas NMDs drop on May 27. Boots for summer? Sure, why not.
This article was published on May 24, 2023 and updated on May 26
