The Best of adidas in 2024
Guided by sneaker seer and a roster of took everything in their stride this year. Broadcasting the and across the lifestyle space, Team Trefoil were also busy in the lab, cooking up gold medal-clinching spikes, celebrating the prestigious with and launching what was arguably the slickest sneaker of the year with swag man Despite a -shaped hole in their bank account and with Bella Hadid, adidas kept their sights on the future, enlisting a new roster of talent and expanding their line up with familiar faces like Let’s take a look back at their best moments of 2024.
It’s Bonner’s World and We’re Just Living In It
The ultimate arbiter of style for adidas, has been instrumental in shaping the brand’s cultural clout and economic forecast – especially after the high-profile self-immolation of label. This year was no exception. From studded to exotic crocodile-embossed Bonner also brought her Midas touch to more niche models like the Samba Millennium and Pay close attention to Bonner’s Superstars, we’re expecting adidas to throw everything at the old school hooper next year.
Noah Lyles Wins Gold in Y-3 Spikes (Now Give Him His Own Shoe...)
The fastest man alive clinched first place in a nail-biting photo finish at the Paris Olympic Games, taking the gold medal in the men’s 100-meter dash by an astonishing margin of just five-thousandths of a second.
Lyles blazed through the 100 meters in a time of 9.79 seconds powered by his adidas spikes, officially known as the Adizero Prime SP3 Strung. A product of collaboration between adidas and legendary Japanese designer , the cutting-edge spikes featured Lightstrike Pro Cushioning and Strung uppers, which were meticulously crafted yarn by yarn to create a lightweight cocoon around the foot.
In typical Lyles fashion, the sprinter made it clear that he has bigger footwear ambitions: ‘I want my own trainer. Dead serious. I want a sneaker. Ain’t no money in spikes. There’s money in sneakers, and even Michael Johnson didn’t have his own sneaker.’
Superhuman: The Anthony Edwards AE 1
Okay, we know the adidas technically arrived in December 2023, but this model has been so dominant this year, it may as well crash-landed from space. Galvanised by the undeniable talent and charm of , the AE 1 has been posterising everything in its path this year. Backed by the Timberwolves’ human highlight reel and a ballsy marketing campaign, the AE 1 kept its foot on the gas all season long, dropping colourway after colourway. Hell, judging by the heights Edwards is climbing to this year, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the BOOST bust-up someone’s face come playoff time. Believe that.
The Predator Party Kicks Off
Few football boots command the same reverence as the adidas This year marked the model’s 35th anniversary, and Team Trefoil delivered a line up of releases to honour the milestone. From the to signature ‘Belligold’ and a special ‘Made in Germany’ edition, fans were spoilt for choice. Among the highlights was a collaboration that reportedly took two years to design. The release celebrated the 20th anniversary of Beckham’s iconic Predator Pulse boots from 2004, featuring a two-tone colourway and the adidas Originals Trefoil logo –appearing on a Predator boot for the first time! The Predator 24 was accompanied by a full adidas Originals collection designed by Beckham himself that drew inspiration from the 1970s.
The Onslaught of the Samba
This year, the Samba continued its dizzying success story, hitting the pitch alongside , *takes deep breath* Caroline Hue, and practically everybody else on planet earth. A low-profile silhouette with its roots in the icy pitches in England, the Samba originally in 2020 with Grace Wales Bonner, IYKYK moodboard masters like hidden.ny, and style raconteurs on TikTok. Here we are nearly half a decade later and the Samba is still kicking, even despite the deluge of product and aura-sucking moments with Rishi Sunak. Sit down. We’re not done with the Samba until Wales Bonner says we’re done.
The Graceful Gazelle
adi’s delicate transition from the Samba to was a thing of beauty. Careful not to step on the toes of the terracewear kingpin, the Gazelle confidently carved out its own space on the shelf. All the industry heavyweights circled the 60s superstar: Lionel Messi and CLOT, atmos and NYC's Flower Shop helped usher in a new era for the understated trainer. adidas even with Arsenal FC and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham to illuminate its terrace credentials. Of course, it wouldn’t be a standout year for the Gazelle without box oracle Gary Aspden and his series. Expect the Gazelle to continue to feature prominently in the adidas line up in 2025.
A Very SPZL Reunion
Speaking of special, the reunion between adidas and was a hard one to miss. In 2021, Gary Aspden’s SPZL line teamed up with the iconic techwear brand C.P. Company to mark their 50th anniversary, creating the Italia CP SPZL. Fast forward three years and the collaboration has come full circle, with C.P. Company joining forces to celebrate a decade of SPZL. Leading the collection was the CP Wimberly SPZL that was inspired by a Canadian version of the Universal – a rare perforated gem. Following that is the CP Helvellyn SPZL, designed for winter with rugged gunmetal D-ring eyelets. The CP SL83 SPZL stands out as one of the collection’s more accessible designs, drawing from its SL82 predecessor with the addition of a t-toe construction. Completing the line up are two SPZL legends: the CP Manchester SPZL and CP Italia SPZL.
CLOT Chaos
After bouncing from Nike in 2023, Edison Chen’s CLOT team were handed the keys to adidas. And boy did they burn rubber. The beloved Hong Kong imprint released a truckload of adidas collaborations this year, including our personal favourites, embroidered with glass beaded stripes. The artisan Gazelle also came with a moulded outsole stitched to the suede and textile upper, using traditional espadrille stitching machines. The project was emblematic of CLOT’s more hands-on approach to their collaborations with adidas, and we’re hoping to see plenty more heat from the partnership in 2025.
The SL 72 Is Picking Up the Pace
Despite the surrounding Bella Hadid and the SL 72 earlier this year, the vintage running shoe has been setting a solid pace in 2024. A longtime favourite among adidas enthusiasts, the SL 72 has enjoyed some impressive collaborations this year, including Emily Oberg’s ‘Sweden Pack’ and October’s to reggae legend Bob Marley. also recently turned up the volume with his adizero SL 72 hybrid.
Bad Bunny’s Hopping Off
Yes, it’s been some kind of year for Puerto Rican megastar Bad Bunny. Originally debuted by fastest man on earth Noah Lyles during F1 festivities in Las Vegas, the Adizero SL 72 mashup was one of many footwear highlights for Bad Bunny this year. Benito also hooked up with the biggest football star on the planet, Lionel Messi, for a unique take on the adidas Gazelle and F50 cleat.
‘Messi's last name has become its own word, a synonym for greatness, courage and heart,’ Bad Bunny said. ‘Watching him play with the passion he does is a privilege. I compare the love he feels for his country and his sport to the love I feel for music and Puerto Rico. Collaborating with him is an honour that so many people dream of and I never even imagined I could achieve it. Today, I feel so grateful to be able to represent our culture with the GOAT.’
The highlight reel doesn’t end there. El Rey del Trap also remixed versions of the Gazelle Indoor, Response CL, and adidas Expect him to play a big role in adi’s plans in 2025 and beyond.
Fear of God Athletics Finally Launch the adidas Basketball II
line with adidas had a spasmodic start, but the model was finally ready to drop buckets in December. Already laced by Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead and LA Lakers sharpshooter Gabe Vincent, the model has received tentative applause from sneakerheads as we wait to see how/if the partnership evolves in 2025.
Recently, Lorenzo expressed his frustration with the challenges the partnership faced in its early stages. ‘The partnership started off with too many ambitions outside of the purity of creating a single product.’ He emphasised the importance of focusing on product development, saying, ‘Now for the final year and a half, the focus is simply there.’
In positive news for Lorenzo, Fear of God Athletics also the Overtime League, a professional basketball league designed for top high school players that offers a unique path to both athletic development and professional careers. The team will showcase custom uniforms and performance footwear crafted by Fear of God Athletics. Let’s hope the Fear of God Athletics partnership is well and truly off the bench in ‘25.
Meme me up, Scotty: Avavav adidas Superfinger Superstar
In 2024, someone had to push the meme-fication of the sneakersphere to the next level and The provocative Florence-based label unveiled the Superfinger Superstar at Milan Fashion Week, reimagining adidas’ iconic silhouette with a detachable ‘Superfingers’ accessory that also doubled as a handbag. Realistically, these can double as whatever-you-damn-well-please, so let your imagination run wild.
For more on the best of 2024, head .