adidas Originals + Brain Dead

Having previously announced their collaboration earlier this year, adidas Originals and the Los Angeles based brand Brain Dead have come together once again: this time to present a disruptive take on the iconic Stan Smith sneaker.

Formulated as a catalyst for creative minds from around the world, over 10 years of existence Brain Dead has garnered a global reputation for its unique, disruptive, approach to clothing, objects, and artworks. With people, their cultures, and their attitudes at its heart, the brand has become a meeting place for a network of contemporary subcultures.

The first-ever tennis leather shoe, the Stan Smith has acquired cult status way beyond the racket-and-net universe, becoming one of the most recognizable silhouettes, and influencing every aspect of popular culture.

For this release, the Stan Smith has been reimagined with slight design touches that inject the Brain Dead factor, without bringing it too far from its legacy status: chunky, contrasted laces are chosen in favor of plain ones, the perforated upper sides show the brand’s “logo head,” and the back padding provides a stark contrast, in a raw, furry fabric. Offered in Cream, Dark Green, and Pink, the Brain Dead Stan Smith is an authentic homage that pushes the shoe’s legacy forward, highlighting its glorious days.

In true Brain Dead style, the launch of the collaborative Stan Smith is accompanied by a campaign, created with artist Ryan Decker, that draws inspiration from the absurd world of animation as a tennis match rendered through surrealist aesthetics plays host to flying rackets and eery assemblages of objects on the court.