Following the announcement of Ultra Violet as Pantone's choice for the 2018 Color of the Year, an all-new adidas AlphaBOUNCE colorway was introduced to celebrate the rich blue-based purple shade. The Pantone-inspired colorway for the women's shoe celebrates a "dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple shade," with a suede-like upper and a rubberized heel.
adidas' AlphaBOUNCE sneakers were originally introduced as an innovative performance running shoe made with technology used by NASA, a FORGEDMESH upper and a BOUNCE midsole made from foam to maximize cushion and comfort.
In their 2017 and 2018 collections, labels like Balenciaga, Gucci and Marni embraced the use of the deep purple shade in their designer collections, signalling that the color will be a popular one for up-and-coming apparel and accessory releases.
Swatch-Inspired Sneakers
The New adidas AlphaBOUNCE Colorway Celebrates a Purple Pantone Color
Trend Themes
1. Pantone-inspired Colorways - Other brands can create colorways inspired by Pantone's Color of the Year to ride the trend wave.
2. High-performance Fashion - The fusion of high-tech materials and fashionable design offers new market opportunities.
3. Bold Color Choices - Using bold and bright color choices in products can emphasize uniqueness and lead to increased demand.
Industry Implications
1. Sportswear - Sportswear companies can incorporate NASA technology and foam cushioning into sneakers for better performance.
2. Fashion - Fashion designers can incorporate popular Pantone colors into their collections to stay on trend.
3. Footwear - Adopting rubber-specific technology for shoes, such as this line of adidas sneakers, can lead to increased comfort in other types of shoes.