Topshop x Adidas

Back in January we blogged about ASOS’ collaboration with Puma: a capsule collection with sport luxe edge. But next Friday (20 March) another sportswear giant is teaming up with a high street staple. Topshop xAdidas, a twenty-piece offering, will be available to buy online and in selected UK stores, and we can’t wait to check it out. And for international fans of the brand, you’ll also be able to buy it from 80 Adidas stores across the world, the Hong Kong topshop store and 64 other international outposts, and Nordstrom.com.

So far only two photos have been released, so it’s hard to say much about what the collection includes. But Topshop’s Creative Director, Kate Phelan, has described it as bringing “femininity” to sportswear, which is definitely a different approach to the androgynous, almost tough style we saw from ASOS x Puma.

The two images that have been released show traditional Adidas shapes, like track shorts and scoop neck vests, reworked with this season’s icy pastels and floral prints. A grey marl hoodie with the Adidas logo has been given a luxe feel, with contrasting black cords and a print that’s part tropical, part graffiti (both big trends for the new season).

Unlike ASOS x Puma, these look like clothes that you could actually wear to the gym, if you wanted to. They feel quite similar to StellaMcCartney’s collection for the brand – which makes sense, because both Topshop and McCartney are working with the same elements of the Adidas DNA. Technical fabrics, soft colours and the iconic leaf logo are always going to be mainstays of any fashion collaboration that the sportswear brand dabbles in.

"Topshop tears through the adidas Originals archives in this exclusive summer collaboration, bringing sportswear to fashion street-style," a spokesperson told Harpers Bazaar. "Reimagining heritage classics for the concrete catwalk, a unique take on the SS14 trends promises to pioneer a range that will cement icons while pushing the limits of city styling."

We haven’t seen what they look like yet, but we’ve also been promised three-stripe track pants and a fresh take on the Adidas Originals’ Superstar, Tech Super and Attitude sneakers. These classic trainers are going to be available in new leather and print colourways – and we’re betting that they’ll become one of the collection’s most coveted pieces.

And we’re left wondering, now that Puma and Adidas have both taken advantage of the sport luxe trend and worked with high street fashion brands, will Nike follow suit? We can only imagine what would happen if they teamed up with Zara…