A true crossover of epic proportions arrives just in time for Halloween as adidas and The Simpsons team up to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of an iconic spooky episode. A part of the Treehouse of Horrors collection, the adidas Rivalry 86 Low gets a Werewolf Flanders makeover.
First aired in 1999 on Halloween, the Treehouse Of Horror X was part of the 11th season of the cartoon series. The Simpsons Halloween specials are traditionally divided into three segments, each taking on a well-known spooky story. This episode starts with characters Kang and Kodos introducing the opening segment, entitled I Know What You Diddily-Iddily-Did. Fans of the show will recognize the speech pattern of beloved geek, religious nut, and all-around good guy Ned Flanders. While riding along in the car, The Simpsons have run over poor Ned, killing him. After covering up his death, The Simpsons arrive home from Ned's funeral to find "I know what you did" on their front door. Later that night, The Simpsons come across Ned, who explains he was attacked by a werewolf just before Marge ran him over, so he is undead and can't be killed. He then chases and eats Homer as the segment rolls to credits.
The segment is just over six minutes long but is iconic among fans and forms the basis for the inspiration for the adidas Rivalry 86 Low Werewolf Flanders. In 2021, a previous adidas and The Simpsons collab saw the McCarten silhouette pay homage to the beloved character with a Left-Handers iteration. That design is adapted and updated seamlessly across to the Rivalry 86 Low. Flanders' green jumper and pink shirt combo are represented, along with his infamous mustache.
Green leather overlays combine with an underlying perforated wild brown leather toe box. More wild brown is utilized for the fur seen on the tongue, Three Stripes branding on the sides, and back heel. Wild Pink hits the lining, and the top plastic eye stays—more green leather for the tongue tags, which bear Trefoil branding. Custom graphics are applied on the insoles, with a black rubber cupsole underneath. Each pair comes in a custom Treehouse Of Horror shoebox with a mini-poster, lace jewels, and hangtag.
The Simpsons x adidas Rivalry 86 Low Werewolf Flanders is set to release on November 5, 2024, through adidas and select retailers in-store and online. Coming in men's sizing, retail is set at $130. Download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
The Simpsons x adidas Rivalry 86 Low Werewolf Flanders
Images via adidas
Craig Bell happily talks about sneakers or as he calls them "trainers" every day of the year. An avid Bradford City fan, he's also a big supporter of the Philadelphia Eagles. He will forever profess that Cricket is better than Baseball and that Rugby League is better then Rugby Union. Among his many hot takes, he believes the adidas ZX range is the pinnacle of sneaker design.
