Trainer Focus – Y-3 Adizero Runner


The clash of high fashion and street wear is surely at its height, with trainers having led the way and a particular designer and brand getting there before anyone else – Yohji Yamamoto and adidas. The Y-3 range was breaking boundaries before the little rich kids of Bristol and London had even clapped eyes on a pair of ugly Balenciaga. The latest trainer release from Y-3 doesn’t disappoint, the Y-3 Adizero Runner.

After two ostentatious designs this season in the form of the Harigane & Kaiwa, Yohji and co have toned down the bulbous “ugly” aesthetic for a subtler athletic design in the form of the Adizero Runner, adapting their inline boost running designs into an ultra breathable silhouette that commands attention for its look and its performance. I’m a huge fan of any trainer with a runner style and much prefer this sort of silhouette to the current ugly trend so favoured by those aforementioned rich kids.

Y-3 Adizero Runner Detail: From sole up, is the heralded adidas torsion system, an outsole component that has been a mainstay in performance models since its introduction in 1988, linking two rubberised sole units at the toe and heel for ultimate movement. From there we are reintroduced to the revolutionary boost technology, adding a thin strip to the sole for a minimal yet responsive action for all kinds of running. The midsole incorporates a rigid foam that bonds the midsole to the upper, in keeping with the makeup of Y-3’s current season.

The upper is where the materialisation takes the precedent, fusing ultra-breathable mesh with a neoprene and suede accent to the rear of the shoe. Where traditional shoe uppers would incorporate additionally stitched panelling, the Adizero Runner places angular embroidered toe box panelling with a contrasting stitch to the inner lateral side.


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