From Archive Gem to Cult Classic: How Wales Bonner x Adidas Forged Sneaker Greatness

Fashion
From Archive Gem to Cult Classic: How Wales Bonner x Adidas Forged Sneaker Greatness
Close-up shot of Adidas sneakers and denim jeans against a brick wall, showcasing urban street style.
Photo by Matthew Barra on Pexels

Getting trainers nobody else got feels like winning, you know? It feels much cooler, absolutely it does. Finding those away from bright store lights felt better. True style means finding pieces that talk to you.

They should tell a story besides the newest stuff. The Adidas AdiZero line is gaining attention; it has this spirit. Our stories might help, but the brand really made it happen. Adidas kept its plan quite simple, but it worked greatly.

They get shoes to the right people, it seems. And make them appear in places that count. The AdiZero Adios model did really well with this idea. Grace Wales Bonner is who brought the Adios back into style. Her impact on its return is enormous. She changed the classic Adios sneaker some.

Haile Gebrselassie yellow mix shoes
Grace Wales Bonner Interview About Fashion’s FutureHaile Gebrselassie – Wikipedia, Photo by hearstapps.com, is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

This included using a colorway with much history. That same yellow mix Haile Gebrselassie wore back in 2008. He broke a marathon record under 2 hours and 4 minutes that year. It gave the shoe a piece of running history. This fact got overlooked before Wales Bonner pointed it out. Then she showed this changed Adios to the fashion world.

She put it on models at her Paris show. One model wore a full Wales Bonner tracksuit. The sneaker came out for everyone after three months. It was part of their autumn collection for 2024. Bridging fashion moments and seasonal releases happens now.

People buying these shoes first were different. They came from design places, not the finish line field. You see this context shift plainly. I saw the Wales Bonner Adios in fancy shops a lot. More than one person actually running, that is true.

Bad Bunny
Adidas and Wales Bonner Are Dropping Their Most Surprising Sneaker Collab Yet | GQ, Photo by media.gq.com, is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

This tells volumes regarding its new identity. The story didn’t stop just there. The global star Bad Bunny then joined in the talk. He helped make the Adios more important. Bad Bunny mixed parts of the popular SL 72 shoe. The Adios got framed as the SL 72’s next step.

Connecting two successful Adidas shoes together made sense. This Bad Bunny version was made thinking of style fans. It targeted those deep into fashion culture, like him. The musician’s wide appeal made a big difference. His name helped the shoe move past fashion people.

It got into culture much broader too. Yet the Adios, a basic runner from the 2000s, kept its special feel. That quiet coolness stayed even as more knew it. Things kept moving forward with the shoe. More attention came over five months later.

Sporty & Rich ten years old
Past Meets Present With the Bad Bunny x adidas adiZero SL 72 – Captain Creps, Photo by captaincreps.com, is licensed under CC BY 4.0

This happened through Adidas and Sporty & Rich. Sporty & Rich is only ten years old. They built a strong following of dedicated customers. Tapping into a specific look helped achieve this. That look is the American country club feel.

An aesthetic sought after yet not used enough, I think. A shoe like Adios works well for them. It feels practical and chic, and it isn’t loud. Its look matches Sporty & Rich’s vibe easily. Campaign pictures show them together perfectly.

The Sporty & Rich Adios appears in country club scenes. This reinforces how well they fit. Sporty & Rich Adios droped on May 30th. The shoe is expected to be more seen then.

More public knowledge is expected from a big drop. The wonderful thing about Adios, especially now, is its appeal. Even with more views, it stays rooted in status. At its heart, it remains a subtle style flex.

Adios story
Lookbook Sporty & Rich x adidas Originals SL72, Photo by sportyandrich.com, is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Product on Amazon: adidas Sporty & Rich x SL72 OG Womens Shoes, Real Blue/Light Yellow/Cloud White, Size 6
Brand: adidas
Price: 120 USD
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This Adios story is part of how sneaker talk grew. In recent years, that talk escalated very much. Grace Wales Bonner from London played a huge part. Her role has been very important and undeniable.

Her collaboration with Adidas Originals began in 2020. It has been running successfully ever since then. She has reworked some old styles from Adidas vaults. These old styles she changed became very popular.

They reach what people call ‘cult status’ sometimes. More than shoes, they become cultural items. Her past work has good examples of this status. The leopard pony hair Sambas and the silver ones are key. These versions became extremely wanted by people.

They were hard to get when they first came out. Resale markets show how high demand is. Pairs on resale sites sell for much more now. Much higher than what they first cost, I tell you. The leopard and silver Sambas were $500 plus.

A pair of stylish white sneakers with prominent black stripes displayed on their box outdoors.
Photo by 14th ng10 on Pexels

On sites like StockX, prices were higher. For certain sizes, they even hit four figures. Demand must be extreme, I think. The impact of these old reworks is deep. It goes past just high-end stores too. Mass-market stores made many copies of them.

Creating cheaper versions that copy the look. This pattern of making old shoes popular grew the partnership. They moved from new collaborators to the best now. Other shoe pairings get compared to them sometimes. Their releases happen about two times a year. Sneaker fans wait to see what they show next.

People who like fashion watch too. They reliably make ‘It Shoe’ hits every time. And their clothes are just as good. They match the shoes’ look very well.

Grace Wales Bonner helped with other Adidas shoes. The Samba Millennium and the SL 72 were pushed mainstream. Just like she did with the Adios shoe. The first idea for this story is still true.

Related posts:
How the Adidas Adizero Adios Became the Sleeper Hit of the Summer
How the Adidas Adizero Adios Became the Sleeper Hit of the Summer
Wales Bonner Says Your Summer Sneakers Will Be Covered In Sequins

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