In the world of high fashion, Grace Wales Bonner has been making waves as the British-born designer was allegedly in the running to replace Virgil Abloh’s position at Louis Vuitton (though the position went to Pharrell Williams) and draws many elite members of the community to her fashion shows. Outside of the upper echelons of fashion, Bonner began collaborating with adidas back in 2020 to much critical acclaim and has since released multiple collections under this banner. Now, thanks to House of Heat, we have first looks at some of the footwear that will be featured in the Wales Bonner x adidas Spring/Summer 2023 Collection.
For the four sneakers, we see two colorways of the adidas Samba and two colorways of the adidas SL72 Knit get the high fashion treatment. Bonner takes the iconic Samba and dresses its upper in a metallic silver finish for its underlays and overlays, though the heel tab does feature one of the lone hits of cream. Tonal cream laces match the sockliner and stitching detailed located on the Three Stripes and heel tab while a golf-like tongue cover gets added to the model. Prominent Wales Bonner branding gets stamped along the lateral midfoot with a dark brown gum rubber sole unit completing its design.
As for the other Samba colorway, nubuck is employed across the upper with yellow leather taking over the Three Stripes on the midfoot. Tonal suede overlays on toebox and eyestays keep things cohesive while the flipped tongue sharply contrasts the lighter hues with its dark brown finish. Wales Bonner branding on the heel and a gum sole unit round out this colorway.
On the SL72 Knit we see a “Brown” and “Green” rendition that feature similar construction. Along the mudguard, eyestays, and heel overlay we see suede overlays in a tonal hue that matches the knitted base layer. Accenting hits of brown are present on the “Green” pair along the tongue, sockliner, and lace set while the “Brown” gets accenting shades of red on the sockliner . Both pairs feature different shades of color on the Three Stripes logo and on the heel tab with orange/red and a burnt yellow on the “Brown” and “Green” pairs respectively. Rounding out the design is the creamy adidas-branded midsole paired with a matching rubber outsole.
On top of the sneakers, an apparel collection contains an array of unisex offerings, elevating vintage silhouetes with premium materials and contemporary color palettes. Included in this are tracksuits, anoraks, a Harrington jacket and flared trouser set, and a series of sweaters and t-shirts.
The Wales Bonner x adidas Spring/Summer 2023 Footwear Collection will release on June 9 through adidas Confirmed and select retailers online and in-store. Releasing in men’s sizing, the retail price of the Samba is set at $200 while the SL72 Knit will be priced at $180. Keep it locked to our Twitter and the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Images via adidas
Wales Bonner x adidas Samba “Metallic Silver”
Wales Bonner x adidas SL72 Knit “Green”
Wales Bonner x adidas SL72 Knit “Brown”
Wales Bonner x adidas Nubuck Samba "Ecru Tint"
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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
