Upcycled Adidas that has me feeling some type of way

Global tracksuit treasures

Adidas has been a staple in the rave scene since the ‘90s, which means it had a constant presence in my adolescence. Because of this, the three stripes have somehow transcended their mainstream “brandness” into a symbol that has subcultural meaning. Honestly, it’s kind of refreshing to step back from the whole “it girl” viral trend cycle, because for me, Adidas isn’t about being trendy—it’s always in my rotation.

Sure, Adidas has also had some really cool collabs, like Marimekko, Fear of God, Farm Rio, and their Y-3 line (also I’m pretty into this collab with Caroline Hu - specifically this whole look!). But, what really piques my interest are custom pieces, which I started bookmarking during my deep web searches for vintage Adidas.

Since discovering a handful of delightful pieces, I began actively digging for upcycled Adidas gear. While much of it consists of old tracksuits turned into bikinis, hot pants, mini skirts, and so on, there are some really creative folks making the unexpected.

Here are a few favorites:

1. Deco.and - a Japanese brand that remakes three stripes pieces into ruffled, frilly, voluminous clothes I can’t stop looking at. I like the contrast between the graphic athletic lines and the softness of the ruffles.

2. Kaya is another artist in Japan making custom, one-of-a-kind Adidas pieces with a patchworked, collaged aesthetic. I’m really into this whole vibe, but especially love the moto jacket:

picklemedesigns

A post shared by @picklemedesigns

3. I really love this 2023 upcycled collab between Pickle Me and Akira White. It’s styled so beautifully by Batt Maillie.

yeoinsa

A post shared by @yeoinsa

4. Hanbok brand Yeoinsa creates beautiful upcycled Adidas pieces in traditional Korean silhouettes. I don’t think she is currently listing these for sale, unfortunately, but they are stunning!

4. I found Cobbler Bushwick Co. through a random Google search! They’re a shoe repair and restoration shop (and coffee brand!??) that also offers classes where you can customize a pair of your sneakers! These remind me of Adidas’ upcoming collab CLOT Superstars by Edison Chen, which are probably the coolest Superstars I’ve ever seen.

4. In my explorations, I discovered designer Jaehun Oh, whose work deserves its own dedicated post, but these decor items tickled me.

4. Speaking of home furnishings, Darren Romanelli created this tracksuit lounger back in 2020, which I found via Hypebeast.

5. My friend Jess sent me these on Friday and I jumped onto my computer to edit this post before it went live because these are fire. Designed and made in Thailand, they’re giving JNCO x Adidas… Jadidas? ADNCO? Whatever. Zippers are fun! Check them all out on Insta: @nas.up_bkk.

For more three stripey goodness here are some more links:

• Instagram accounts @counter_stripe & @heavystripes

• This post from @cold_archive

• A Timeline of the Adidas Tracksuit in Youth Culture