After releasing 26 distinct ZX sneakers over the course of 2008 and 2009, Adidas’ A-ZX series returned in August for a new wave of themed drops.
Now five months in, the series has gotten to its final 10 entries. Among these last releases are a moccasin-inspired 9000, an icy citrus 8000 and an eye-catching, electric yellow Kevlar 5000.
Unveiled Thursday, Adidas’ latest A-ZX sneaker draws on the aesthetic codes of moccasin-style footwear. The shoe features a black suede upper, nubeck accents, leather details and custom “Z” and “X” stitches on alternate shoes. A removable moccasin fringe collar rounds out the look. Dubbed the ZX 9000 YCTN, the shoe launches globally Feb. 5.
As much of the world trudges through the dead of winter, Adidas’ ZX 8000 Frozen Lemonade looks ahead to the balmy days of summer. Inspired by the classic cool-down beverage, the playful sneaker offers a contemporary take on the brand’s popular “Citrus” ZX colorway from the late ‘80s. The shoe sports yellow panels, mint-green accents, ice-cube printed sock-liners and custom frozen lemonade tongue tabs. On the insole, a printed recipe offers instructions on how to make the sneaker’s namesake drink. The shoe debuts globally Friday.
Another yellow ZX dropped Friday. The sneaker serves as an homage to one of the silhouette’s own classic features, the Torsion bar. First introduced in the late ‘80s, Adidas’ Torsion system connects the shoe’s heel and forefoot, allowing the foot to move as a unit, while giving it the flexibility to move freely. The ZX 5000 Torsion takes the material this technology originally used, yellow Kevlar, and remakes the sneaker’s upper with the substance synonymous with bulletproof vests, all atop a matching yellow midsole. The shoe comes with multiple custom lace options, Torsion lace jewels and matching sock liners.
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So far, Adidas’ ongoing A-ZX run has seen the brand team up with a broad assortment of partners, from the Boston-based retailer Concepts to the National Park Foundation.
One of the A-ZX series’ more recent entries, the ZX 1000 Pam Pam, dropped in November. Designed by London-based women’s sneaker retailer Pam Pam, the shoe sports a beige upper, with black suede accents, pink hits and leopard-print synthetic pony hair details. Other features include the initials of the retailer’s founders, a detachable ZX 1000 gold charm and co-branded laces, lace jewels, sock liners and tongue tabs.
In September, Adidas dropped the nostalgic ZX 8000 Lego. The sneaker, merging a multicolor mesh and synthetic suede upper with a yellow Torsion insole and a red rubber outsole, included several nods to the classic toy brick company, such as Lego studs on the heel and co-branded tongue tabs colored in the brand logo’s iconic red and yellow colorway.