We’ve known for quite some time now that Adidas has teamed up with Dragon Ball Z. The (rumored) eight shoe pack is set to drop in waves throughout the remainder of the year. When word first dropped about the pack speculation ran wild as fans dreamt of how they’d handle the collaboration (Goku Yeezys, NMD’s stuff dreams are made of). As images started surfacing the sneaker community was less than enthused about the execution, but the more pictures we get the better each shoe looks (they’ve been slowly growing on me too). With Dragon Ball Z’s devout fanbase and rich history it’s going to be hard to appease everyone.
Many leaked photos of the Adidas x DBZ pack have popped up online but Adidas has finally confirmed the first two silhouettes based on the manga’s main hero and villain – Goku and Frieza. There’s no definitive release date yet but we do know they’ll retail for $150 USD and be fairly limited.
Goku and Frieza’s iconic battles rank among all-time “good vs. evil” relationships in anime. The original Dragon Ball Z comic book (known as manga) debuted in 1988 as the successor to Akira Toriyama’s hit, Dragon Ball. Goku serves as the series’s protagonist as he fights to save the galaxy from evil doers like the space tyrant Frieza.
ZX500: Goku, Aug. 2018
Goku, Saiyan warrior of peace! Adidas really excited these ZX500 well with an abundance of references to Earth’s first Super-Saiyan (look it up). The heel tab features Goku’s iconic gi logo – the symbol of his master’s school of martial arts. In Goku’s youth he’d ride a magic cloud (much like the magic carpet in Aladdin) and Adidas included it on the inner forefoot. The Three Stripes even replicates Goku’s blue belt/ wristbands accents perfectly.
Yung-1: Frieza, Aug. 2018
The Yung-1 just recently made it’s reappearance onto the shoe scene but it’s already featured some dope colorways. The Frieza iteration features the character’s signature white and purple coloring with subtle hints of pink. The heel features a jewel-like accent reminiscent of the villain’s chest. Unlike Frieza, these understand and cool. Note: both sockliners say “Dragon Ball Z”.
Aaron Nojima
Stanley T.
Robbie Falchi