The fashion world has seen the collision between luxury, sportswear, and streetwear over the last half decade as all three segments of the industry have borrowed from the others' aesthetics. Not only have they borrowed from each other but have cross-pollinated through collaborative efforts, like Balenciaga's partnership with adidas. That said, Balenciaga has recently jeopardized its brand and partnership with the Three Stripes after a controversial ad campaign that glamorized child pornography and abuse. Now it seems that adidas is putting a pause on all future collaborative efforts and has halted pre-orders.
First debuted inside the New York Stock Exchange for Balenciaga’s Spring 2023 fashion show, the Balenciaga x adidas collection hosted a wide range of products that delved into the dystopian aesthetic Demna has led within his time at the Parisian fashion house. Pre-orders went up immediately after the show had finished and began shipping in November 2022 around the same time products began being offered for FCFS purchase, however, one pre-orderer received an email from customer service explaining why they would not be receiving a pair of the Balenciaga x adidas Stan Smith.
In an email shared with Sneaker Freaker, adidas customer service states “We have taken the time to re-evaluate our partnership with Balenciaga and we have decided to pause all product launches until further notice.”
As of now, no official press release has come from either side regarding the matter, however, we shouldn’t expect to see any more orders shipping out or product launches for the Balenciaga x adidas Collection for the foreseeable future. We can only assume this has to do with the aforementioned controversy surrounding the recent Balenciaga ad campaign and the subsequent revival of other past controversies. adidas could not be reached for comment at the time of publishing. For more updates on this story as it unfolds and more news in the sneaker and streetwear world, keep it locked to our Twitter and the Sole Retriever mobile app.
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. Concerts, music, trying new restaurants, and catching the latest movies are some of the things I enjoy when not writing for Sole Retriever. Email: nick@soleretriever.com
