How Nike and Adidas collabs with Gucci, Prada, Jacquemus and other high-fashion houses mark a new battleground for sportswear’s biggest rivalry
- The two retail giants have gone all guns blazing into high-fashion collaborations, with other partner brands including Balenciaga, Prada and Louis Vuitton
- Despite criticisms over prices, designs and drop frequency, demand for such crossovers remains high, with collections quickly selling out
In terms of rivalries, the one between Nike and Adidas is up there with the best of them. The battle between the top two rival sportswear giants has long been waged and shows no sign of slowing down – instead, it is exploding into new arenas such as the metaverse and, most notably, high fashion.
A slew of collaborations have dominated the hype and the headlines in recent months.
Gucci and Adidas have come together for a collection that finally hit stores this month, after it was first shown at the Italian brand’s Milan Fashion Week show in February, attended by Rihanna and A$AP Rocky.
The collaboration collection got people talking – not least Chinese internet users, who complained that the Adidas x Gucci sun umbrella was not waterproof.
Reaction to the designs – which reimagine the 1980s and ’90s through Adidas sportswear alongside the Gucci motif, as well as add the brand’s three stripes to classic Gucci tailoring – has been mixed, but Vogue editor Anna Wintour appears to have given them her seal of approval: the style icon was snapped in a piece in a selfie with Kim Kardashian.
People are also talking about the increased prices, with pink Gucci x Adidas Gazelles hitting the market at US$850 when they release on July 7.
