Since it first came into being, adidas Consortium has been committed to bringing together partners, retailers, and collectives who exemplify a unique, fearless approach to collaboration. Each new partnership offers up a creative new take on the iconic styles that Adidas has developed over the decades. In doing so they shine an entirely new light on the sportswear brand’s high-performance technologies and commitment to craftsmanship.
This season, Alife, a long-term member of the Adidas Consortium family returns to the fold for the first time since 2017. That year saw them take on new iterations for both the Gazelle and Stan Smith, in a three-way collaboration with Parisian counterpart Starcow. Co-Founded in 1999 by Rob Cristofaro, Alife has been forging its own path through New York street culture for two decades while all around them the city has been changing, staying true to the passions that first brought them to the game.
An ever-constant passion of cultivating a global streetwear culture provided the springboard for Alife’s fresh take on the Adidas Nizza Hi for SS19. Originally released in 1975, the vulcanized canvas shoe is a lasting icon from a time when sporting footwear – and indeed often the sports themselves – were approached in more stripped back, ‘let’s get to it’ fashion. Today, the Nizza Hi is lauded for its minimalist, versatile aesthetic and Alife brings their own character to the shoe while maintaining the qualities that have made the shoe endure for so many years. While the brand’s oversized logo is applied as a pad print on the outside of each foot (as opposed to the traditional heel position), all other elements of the shoe – from the canvas uppers and rubber midsole to the heel tab and the laces – are rendered in monochrome, brilliant white. Minimal detailing such as the dates of Alife’s inception and current year on each of the toe-caps, branded laces, and the no-frills Alife logo make for an understated, easy to wear rendition of this style.
The shoe also comes with specially-created TPU wristbands, which can either be worn around the wrist or over the actual shoes themselves.
Adidas Consortium x Alife will be available for purchase online for $120 at www.alifenewyork.com and in-store at Alife Rivington Club (158 Rivington St., New York, NY 10002) beginning May 2nd and globally on May 11th.
