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If All Y2K Things Are Coming Back Into Fashion, It’s Almost About Time We Got Some Yu Gi Oh! kicking. At least, that seems to be adidas’ thinking, as the sportswear giant has created a set of shoes that pays homage to the Japanese franchise’s most popular elements.
For us millennials, Yu Gi Oh! is best known as a must-watch animated series for kids that aired on Kids’ WB between the two Pokemon and beyblade. Yes, there was also a trading card and lots of video games — am I the only one who remembers the Yu Gi Oh! games for Game Boy Advance being incredibly difficult? – but, in my head, Yu Gi Oh! is indistinguishable from the television series.
I also fondly remember watching “the abridgement” Yu Gi Oh! YouTube series at the time – those were the early days of funny internet videos, so they probably haven’t aged well, but who knows.
Anyway, the Yu Gi Oh! x adidas collection is just the latest in a long line of adidas franchise collaborations and, honestly, it may just be the best yet.
adidas has cleverly selected two shoe models for its Yu Gi Oh! team, both from the same era as the heyday of the Japanese franchise.
First, there’s the 1999 Reptossage slide sandal, with all the visible tech and chunky straps you’d expect from the era. The main draw is the printed straps, which reflect the collaboration theme: Yugi Motou (or rather his alter-ego Yami Yugi) and Seto Kaiba.
Joining the main characters in each shoe are the signature cards of Motou and Kaiba, the Black Magician and the Blue-Eyes White Dragon respectively.
The same goes for the ADI2000 sneaker, a fairly new silhouette that’s clearly inspired by skate shoes from the early 2000s.
Again, you have a choice of Dark Magician and Blue-Eyes on these sneakers, each sporting complementary Millennium Puzzle and Kaiba Corp imagery. and an Exodia hang tag. Super smart keys everywhere.
Boxes and insole reiterate the Yu Gi Oh! patterns, creating pleasingly considerate collaborative kicks that appeal to casual fans, nostalgic adults and diehards alike Yu Gi Oh! as well as collectors.
adidas has not confirmed the release date or pricing of its Yu Gi Oh! shoe collection, but I dare say it’s one of the German brand’s best franchise partnerships to date, which is saying something.
For reference, previous adidas teams include Black Panther, Star Wars, Toy Story, Game of Thrones, James Bond, Gremlins, and other shonen anime like Naruto and Dragon Ball Z.
Which makes me wonder: when will we have more adidas anime teams? Yu Yu Hakusho and Inuyasha are ripe for special sneakers.
