Pumped up kicks! Kawasaki, adidas collab brings new shoes

News out of Herzogenaurach, Germany finds that adidas Originals and Kawasaki are joining forces to celebrate the history and future of ZX with two unique takes on the ZX8000 and ZX 5K BOOST silhouettes. 

Kawasaki’s signature sport bike brand – ZX – served as the inspiration for the adidas design team when they first introduced the original ZX500 sneaker in 1984.

Taking cues from Kawasaki’s instantly recognizable design philosophy of motorcycle and color palette, the collaborative ZX8000 sneaker features a White kangaroo leather upper, with Kawasaki Green leather overlays, blue map suede accents, and a Kawasaki Ninja graphic on the lateral. Meanwhile, the ZX 5K BOOST boasts a Black TPU overlay and eye stays, Kawasaki green accents, a semi-transparent Black ripstop vamp, and a Kawasaki Ninja logo on the toe-box.

Both sneakers are capped off with electroplated lace tips, shoe jewelry and heel pieces, as well as co-branded sock liners. Each pair then comes packaged in a custom box with a printed graphic of the latest Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, filled with tissue paper bearing a printed Kawasaki motorcycle sketch.

The launch of the adidas Originals and Kawasaki collaborative partnership is accompanied by an evocative campaign film which pays homage to Japanese motorbike culture by taking the viewer on an unexpected journey through the city’s streets.

Arriving on April 14, the collaborative ZX8000 and ZX 5K BOOST Kawasaki sneakers are available globally (excluding China) through adidas stores, adidas.com, Confirmed, and select retailers.

Additionally, the ZX 5K BOOST will also be available directly from Kawasaki in Japan, EU, USA, Canada, Australia and Thailand.