Pharrell Williams and adidas Originals are collaborating on a new version of the ‘Hu NMD S1 RYAT’ boot, sharing a black iteration of the popular shoe. The sneaker features a premium suede and leather construction, a rubberized TPU mudguard, and a BOOST midsole. When it comes to coloring, a bright blue shade can be seen on the caging details, but the majority of the shoe is solid black. Humanrace branding can be spotted on the tongue unit, and a neon orange heel tab rounds out the design.
Pharrell shared the inspiration behind the campaign in a press release: "It’s an interesting idea of overlapping [the city and nature]. We’re at a cultural point where all those things are merging, so this shoe was supposed to represent that in many ways."
Artist-Collaborative Black Boots
adidas Originals x Pharrell Williams Debut a New 'Hu NMD S1 RYAT'
Trend Themes
1. Collaborative Fashion - The trend of artist collaborations with fashion brands presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation through new and unique designs.
2. Sustainable Materials - The use of eco-friendly materials in shoe construction is a growing trend, and presents opportunities for innovation and differentiation from traditional shoe materials.
3. Bold Colorways - The trend of utilizing bright and bold colors in shoe design, such as the blue caging detail on the new Pharrell x adidas collaboration, presents opportunities for brands to differentiate themselves in the market and create standout products.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - The fashion industry has opportunities for disruptive innovation through collaborations with artists, use of sustainable materials, and bold color choices in design.
2. Footwear - The footwear industry can innovate and differentiate from traditional shoe construction materials by incorporating sustainable materials, and bold color choices in design, while also leveraging collaborations with artists for unique and desirable products.
3. Branding - Branding opportunities exist in the fashion and footwear industries through collaborations with artists, sustainable material choices, and unique colorways in shoe design.