The loudest shoe in the Pokemon x adidas 30th anniversary run is not a Superstar. It is the adidas Pro Model “Pikachu,” a yellow pony hair build that arrives in September.
The Pro Model has been the Superstar’s taller sibling since the late sixties, sharing the rubber shell toe but adding a high collar that made it the choice for players who wanted ankle support before ankle support was a marketing category. It never carried the Superstar’s cultural weight, and that has turned into an advantage. Collaborators get more room to work on a shoe that is not carrying decades of expectations.
That room gets used here. The upper is covered in yellow pony hair rather than printed leather, with Core Black trim and a large Pikachu charm hanging near the heel. It is a texture play more than a graphic play, and it sits at the far end of a collection that also includes Mewtwo on the Samba, Handball Spezial and ZX 8000, Rayquaza on the Megaride and adiStar Control 5, and the full Charmander line on the Superstar.
To me this proves adidas learned something from the first Pokemon partnership in 2019. That one leaned on printed graphics and read like licensed product. This round is built around materials and construction, which is how you get a licensed shoe onto the feet of people who do not care about the license. Pricing has not been announced for this pair, which usually means it sits above the $110 Superstars in the same run.
Release details: September 2026, style code KI2862. Price has not been announced.
Where to buy: adidas.com and select adidas Originals retailers.
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