EXCLUSIVE: Prada’s adidas Football Collection Is Pitch Perfect
Prada and adidas Football are teaming up for the collaboration you didn't know you needed. This season the Italian house, alongside the German sportswear label, is redefining the meaning of on-pitch opulence by dropping three luxury takes of adidas' most iconic boot silhouettes.
The Predator Accuracy, Copa Pure, and X Crazyfast have each been reimagined through Prada’s Linea Rossa lens, which means plusher materials, more meticulous craftsmanship, and all the grandeur detailing we’ve come to expect from Prada.
In truth, the two worlds of football and luxury fashion haven’t always seen eye-to-eye. In fact, for most of their existence they've been polar opposites, but in recent years it could be argued they've never been more aligned.
Sure, footballers and fans have always had an affinity for style (take the infamous and well-dressed Paninaro, for example), but nowadays we’re seeing this appreciation increasingly switch-reversed as luxury begins to fully embrace the sport. Oh, how the tables have turned!
We’ve even seen players star in high-profile luxury campaigns in recent years. From Raheem Sterling and Trent Alexander-Arnold for Bottega Veneta, to Kylian Mbappé and Son Heung-min being named as Dior and Burberry global ambassadors respectively. We’re living in a new, more collaborative era.
When it comes to on-pitch wear though, things aren’t quite as congested, with Napoli's ongoing partnership with Giorgio Armani and French League 1 side Stade Rennais F.C. recently-revealed Balenciaga home kit some of the few highlights. adidas Football for Prada, though? It's different gravy.
Set to be showcased by AS Roma and Argentina forward Paulo Dybala, the collaborative footwear – which has a lining and upper crafted with the finest Italian leather – is realized in the bold red iconography of Linea Rossa, and a clean base of black, white, and silver.
"In other sports you see this combination of fashion brands and sports brands, [but] I think this could be the start of something different, something unique, both in fashion and in football," Dybala told Highsnobiety of the collaboration.
"I think it's [the collaboration] going to make people very curious. Everyone will want to try this boot to see how it feels to see whether it is simply a marketing exercise or whether it can really work. Try it, you won't regret it."
The remainder of the collection is set to be unveiled in situ on the feet of some of the world’s best footballers including Dybala who will present the Copa Pure, with AC Milan's Rafael Leão, and Barcelona's Pedri showcasing the X Crazyfast and Predator Accuracy respectively.
The adidas Football for Prada boot collection is set to land in limited numbers via the adidas CONFIRMED App on May 22, before a later release on Prada on May 25.
Prada's adidas Football collaboration is proof that the worlds of football and luxury have never been closer, yet when a label like Prada is involved, things are being taken to a whole new level – an opulent one, at that.
