A.B. adidas by Blondey
The latest adidas x Blondey McCoy capsule arrives as an anticipated follow up on the skater, artist and designer’s see-through adidas Superstar 80 that launched in its first colourway back in 2019. Titled ‘A.B. adidas by Blondey’ and inspired by ‘80s Terrace Casual culture and football fashion, this capsule release includes adidas clothing and an adidas Gazelle which pays homage to the archives and to Blondey’s own signature label Thames MMXX.
Starting his skateboarding career as part of the initial skate team for Palace Skateboards at age 14, London based McCoy’s avant-garde design style is one that draws continued influence from contemporary fashion and skate culture; an explorative juncture that undoubtedly surmises the skater’s unique individuality. Joining adidas in 2016, the adidas x Blondey Superstar 80 was released in 2019 as a modern recontextualisation of the ‘70s silhouette, and as part of the adidas Rider Series collection. With an interest predominantly focused on reworking classics as opposed to releasing signatures, the adidas x Blondey Superstar 80’s TPU aesthetic has since been the subject of a number of colourway revisions.
Led by his own ‘be who you want to be’ ethos and passion for preppy college-era aesthetics, Blondey’s creative design style cites Terrace Casual culture as one of its main sources of inspiration. Silhouettes such as the adidas Samba, Gazelle, Superstar and adidas Stan Smith owe a lot of their cross-generational expansion to fringe cultures, with the A.B. adidas by Blondey release turning its attention to the fashion wear trends that ultimately grew out of ‘70s and ‘80s football-centred lifestyles. Contemporary soccer-to-skate reclamations also include the adidas Copa Nationale, the adidas Matchbreak and team rider Dennis Busenitz’s Vintage, Busenitz and Vulc II shoes.
A subtle homage to Mark Gonzales’ ‘Back Worlds Of Words’ art piece featuring the adiStar Fencing sneakers in ‘98, the adidas Blondey Coach Jacket is styled with a reflective shell and a construction made from recycled adidas’ Primegreen materials. A combination of football nostalgia and contemporary innovation, this long sleeve coach jacket features 3-stripe sleeve and shoulder detailing with a contrasting, under-stitched stand collar and two-part front fastening. Styled with similar shoulder stripes, the neon coloured adidas Blondey Long Sleeve Jersey is also crafted from Primegreen fabrics with AEROREADY technology borrowed from classic soccer jerseys. An ‘80s inspired ringer mock neck pays tribute to the archives, with an outline of the Thames river sewn across the chest in reference to his Thames MMXX label and his Southbank roots.
Inspired by vintage shell suits and trackside adidas apparel, the complementing adidas Blondey Sherpa Shorts and Sherpa Pullover Jacket both feature a Polar fleece shell and a 100% recycled polyester mesh lining, with the above-knee Sherpa Shorts featuring the same soccer sport AEROREADY technology as the capsule’s neon sweater. Custom ‘adidas x Blondey’ zippers honour the collection, with Primegreen fabrics designed to provide a more sustainable choice. A reflection of the skater’s own iconic style, the acid yellow adidas Blondey Football Socks are cut to a classic knee length, in honour of the skater’s own preference, and are finished with both ‘Blondey’ and ‘adidas’ branding knitted across each individual shin, with the Thames logo and adidas’ 3-stripes detailed throughout.
This adidas x Blondey McCoy capsule also includes a reinterpretation of the iconic adidas Gazelle Indoor (coming soon); a T-toe skate shoe reimagined by the skater to feature heavy gauge blue ripstop details, Superstar 80 inspired TPU overlays and slightly translucent Indoor Super tooling. Hiking style laces provide a utilitarian twist in keeping with the A.B adidas by Blondey collection’s aesthetic, whilst the multidirectional underfoot tread offers increased all-terrain functionality. Finished with raised print ‘Blondey’ side wall details and with a classic printed adidas Trefoil displayed across the semi-transparent TPU heel moustache.
The A.B. adidas by Blondey collection is available online at Flatspot now.
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