As much as I am a fan of all things Pokémon, I don’t typically go out wearing neon clothes billboarding my favourite Pokémon. Sadly, there isn’t enough Giratina merch to do that. However, I do appreciate it when a collaboration isn’t just “sort of Pokémon” but instead goes full whammy into the whimsy of the series, like Adidas’ new collab does. Charizard shoes? Count me in. Pikachu shoes? Yes please. Gengar shoes? Actually, count me out.
Instead of being simple Pokémon-coloured versions of existing products, Adidas x Pokémon’s new line of ‘fashion’ is brutally simple in its approach. Pikachu, Gengar, and Charizard all get plastered on the backs of jackets, while the various trainers get features inspired by each ‘mon. Take, for instance, Charizard, whose trainer gets a wing on the side. Although, my first thought was actually Sephiroth and not the Zard. Hey, it’s a neat idea.
I appreciate the bold look for the jackets. It basically billboards your favourite Pokémon which, while not my personal fashion choice, is much better than sticking a small Pikachu emblem on the right of your chest and charging a small fortune. Even the various shoes, which go from bold to subtle, are all pretty great.
Except Gengar.
I’m happy that the Ghost-type literally looks like the stuff of nightmares. I’m also not happy with it, because it looks terrifying. The breathable fabric at the bottom emulates teeth, and paired with the eyes on the sides, it looks like Gengar stole the idea from Rotom but turned into a pair of trainers rather than a piece of technology.
Logically, it makes sense. But logic doesn’t quite cut it, and I’m left wondering: why? You didn’t need to turn Gengar into a shoe, and hell, you could’ve simply made a nice purple trainer that had a Gengar on the side. Just because Razer managed to make it work doesn’t mean Adidas should have. It still gives me the shivers looking at it, but I guess it would be a good gift for a Halloween-loving Pokémon fan right now.
However, if you do want to buy some of the other pieces in the Pokémon and Adidas collaboration, you can check out the Adidas store here. Sadly, it doesn’t come with any Pokémon TCG cards—no Pikachu wearing some fresh creps in this bundle.
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