Willy Chavarria's Dressy Reinvention of a Bulky adidas Basketball Shoe
Willy Chavarria and adidas just gave the Jabbar Low sneaker a dressy glow-up by stripping the classic basketball silhouette down to its most refined self. Originally created decades back, adidas' Jabbar sneaker is back in a big way and Chavarria is keeping the shoe's momentum alive.
Here, adidas' chunky basketball model has been streamlined and made into something closer to a dressy oxford shoe thanks to Chavarria's addition of waxed laces, a not-so-subtly pointed toe, and multi-textured black leather.
The adidas x Willy Chavarria collaboration was first previewed during Paris Fashion Week earlier this year as part of Chavarria's expansive Fall/Winter 2025 collection.
Comprising jerseys, shorts, and a couple beefy blacked-out shoes, Chavarria's adidas lineup was unmissable even amidst some remarkably evocative co-ed looks.
And it debuted during a season where adidas was straight-up crushing its fashion collaborations.
Other notable adidas moments in Paris included Pharrell closing out NIGO’s runway wearing a wild, Balenciaga-leaning adidas Jellyfish sneaker, Jerry Lorenzo using the week to unveil the latest round of Fear of God Athletics, his long-awaited adidas-backed performance line, and Y-3 dropping one of its most refined collections in years, full of slick moto leather and equally sneakers.
But beyond the big names, adidas was quietly stacking wins with low-key power moves that included low-profile but high-impact collabs with brands like Song for the Mute, Brain Dead, and Pièces Uniques.
The Chavarria collab, available in May via adidas’ website, is just one of many next season collaborations feeding adidas’ sneaker domination. There’s much more where these came from.
