adidas is putting Gengar on the Adistar XLG 2.0 as part of the Pokemon 30th anniversary collection, using raised side panels to form the character’s eyes and white mesh across the toe to complete the face when you look down at it.
The Adistar name goes back to adidas running in the early 2000s, when the Adistar Comp and Adistar Control were the brand’s serious mileage shoes. The XLG version is a lifestyle reinterpretation, blown out and exaggerated the way most heritage runners have been since the chunky wave started. That makes it a reasonable canvas for a character build, because the proportions already invite it.
Pokemon turns 30 in 2026, and adidas built a collection of more than a dozen pairs around it, spanning the Superstar, Samba, Handball Spezial, ZX 8000, and multiple Adistar silhouettes. The ghost-type trio of Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar all landed on Adistar models, which keeps the darker end of the collection visually consistent.
That signals adidas is treating this as a full campaign rather than a one-shoe stunt, which is the difference between a licensing deal and an actual collaboration. The character work here is structural rather than printed on, and that is what separates it from most of the Pokemon footwear that has come and gone before.
Release details: Releasing September 1, 2026, style code KJ5609. Retail price has been reported at both $150 and $170, so treat the price as unconfirmed until adidas lists it.
Where to buy: adidas.com and select retailers.
More adidas coverage here.
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