Shinsuke Takizawa’s NEIGHBORHOOD is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and to commemorate the occasion the brand has teamed up with adidas to reissue their first-ever project from 2005: a special Superstar. In anticipation of the throwback and whatever’s next for the duo, we took a trip down memory lane to remember their best projects to date, with a limit of one entry per silhouette.
NEIGHBORHOOD x adidas Superstar (2005)
It’s been 19 years since the original team-up between NEIGHBORHOOD and adidas, which celebrated the 35th anniversary of the Superstar with a special iteration limited to a mere 300 pairs. A washed black upper hosted NEIGHBORHOOD motifs such as its skull and sword logo and a “NEIGHBORHOOD” text hit. Golden dubraes gave the off-white laces a pop of color while the shell toe featured its own washed black finish.
NEIGHBORHOOD x adidas Gazelle Vintage (2006)
With the stage set for the 2006 Men’s World Cup Final in Berlin, NEIGHBORHOOD and adidas reprised their partnership with a thematic Gazelle Vintage capsule. The two created a black colorway as the “home uniform” version and a white pair as the “away uniform.” The former was only available via NEIGHBORHOOD’s flagship in Japan whereas the latter released around the world. As for the design itself, both saw the skull and sword logo return, this time placed at the toe box just below the lacing system. NEIGHBORHOOD’s thunderbolt design appeared at the midsole with “BERLIN” text at the heel portion of the sole.
NEIGHBORHOOD x adidas Boston Super OG (2015)
After a period of some inactivity, the duo’s take on the Boston Super OG helped reinvigorate their relationship. Accompanying a complete collection of apparel, a black suede and textile colorway of the Boston Super OG was assembled. Contrasted by a white shark tooth pattern at the midsole, co-branding at the lateral heel and NEIGHBORHOOD’s skull and crossbones logo at the heel tab, the design stayed true to the two brands while keeping the element of collaboration subtle.
NEIGHBORHOOD x adidas Shell-Toe Boots (2015)
NEIGHBORHOOD and adidas circled back to the Superstar 10 years after their initial project together, elevating it into their own design as the Shell-Toe Boots. This reimagined take on the Superstar set aside its typical structure, save for the shell toe, and introduced a crepe sole, high-top leather upper with debossed co-branding and a set of hiking boot-inspired eyelets. Aside from its all-black rendition, the duo also presented the design with a light brown colorway sporting white contrast stitching and a gum sole.
INVINCIBLE x NEIGHBORHOOD x adidas NMD R1 (2017)
Beyond operating as a duo, NEIGHBORHOOD and adidas have formed many trios over the years, including one with Taiwanese boutique INVINCIBLE. Their most notable work as a squad was when they took to the NMD R1 in 2017. “INVINCIBLE” and “NEIGHBORHOOD” hits made use of the forefoot’s lateral plugs of the left and right shoes respectively, while co-branding also appeared at the tongue. Though the shoe’s signature detail is the heel embroidery — crafting the Chinese character for fortune on the left shoe and a tiger on the right.
NEIGHBORHOOD x adidas Chop Shop (2018)
Building off momentum from recent releases, the duo’s Spring/Summer 2018 range was their most complete collection to date, with a biker-inspired apparel range and four sneakers. The Chop Shop, having just debuted last year in the Consortium series with its mix of a retro upper and modern sole, was included with a black-and-white build that hosted NEIGHBORHOOD’s shark tooth pattern around the heel of the textile upper, resting just above the full-length BOOST midsole.
NEIGHBORHOOD x adidas I-5923 (2018)
Another silhouette highlighted in the duo’s SS18 range was the I-5923. The model, which some may remember as the Iniki Runner, honed in on black as its primary hue, going so far as to apply black paint across the completely-visible BOOST midsole. The all-too-familiar “NEIGHBORHOOD” text returned in white at the lateral Three Stripes — matching additional white contrast at the heel’s “NBHD BRGD” text across the two shoes, the tongue branding and the rubber outsole.
Cali Thornhill DeWitt x NEIGHBORHOOD x adidas Kamanada 01 (2018)
As the two continued to collaborate later in 2018, they connected with American artist Cali Thornhill DeWitt for a special text-based “NEIGHBORHOOD” design spread across the upper of the Kamanada 01. The trio made use of the asymmetric silhouette by wrapping the motif from the toe to the medial heel, arriving in tonal iterations of brown and black. Elsewhere, the shoe’s signature elements remained intact with its asymmetrical lacing system and textured sole unit present. However, they did include a final touch at the heel tabs, which read “NB” and “HD” on the left and right shoes respectively.
BAPE x NEIGHBORHOOD x adidas POD S-3.1 (2019)
Another high-powered trio assembled by the two was with BAPE in 2019. On top of a BAPE x NEIGHBORHOOD apparel collection, the two linked up with the Three Stripes to present their takes on the NMD STLT and POD S-3.1, with the latter serving as the more iconic of the two thanks to its attention-demanding arrangement. Splitting the POD S-3.1 in half, the lateral hosted a black BAPE camo while the medial favored a white BAPE CAMO, with both carrying NEIGHBORHOOD and BAPE motifs within the camouflage. Co-branding was applied at the lowermost portion of the lacing system, as well as the heel tab. Though it was the split BAPE Shark motif at the lateral of both shoes that brought the design together, stamping it as one of the most hype-oriented designs of that year.
NEIGHBORHOOD x adidas ADIMATIC (2022)
Aside from the upcoming reissue of the duo’s OG Superstar collaboration, their take on the ADIMATIC is one of their best releases from recent years. With the recently reintroduced silhouette already featuring a shark tooth midsole detail, it was only fitting that the two would put their own spin on the model. Outfitted in black and gray colorways, both looks emphasized the pattern by applying a light gray atop a dark one. Utilizing suede across the uppers, both pairs featured a printed “NEIGHBORHOOD” arc logo at the heel while also sporting military-inspired identification text towards the lateral heel.
Honorable Mention — NEIGHBORHOOD x adidas Superstar Incense Chamber (2018)
While not quite a sneaker, the duo’s Superstar-themed incense chamber deserves a nod for being a fun fusion that combines NEIGHBORHOOD’s penchant for unique incense chambers and adidas’ legendary shell toe sneaker. Its white porcelain build is equipped with ample co-branding throughout and the “sole” of the chamber is removable while a hole at the heel invites the incense to permeate throughout the room.
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