adidas has lost its touch...

As Nike gears up for another blockbuster Summer filled with new editions of their classic Nike Dunk sneaker that has taken over the shoe game in recent years, the brand with the three stripes might be trailing behind once more, and this time, it might be by a larger margin. With other brands like New Balance, HOKA, and Salomon dominating the up-and-coming model, Adidas seems to have quickly fallen to the wayside when it comes to casual wear and sneakers that often are looking to be picked up off of shelves on release day. The lines dwindling for the brand new Adidas sneaker is a sign of the times for the brand, but by no means are they failing or have fallen off. Strangely, with newcomers taking the spot that Adidas once held strongly next to Nike, there might be another lane waiting for an Adidas takeover. 

While Adidas' performance in 2024, numbers-wise, ultimately was a successful year, I would like to see the athletic brand venture into the vintage market that is absolutely taking over streetwear culture currently. The vintage clothing blow-up has been something fans have been eager to wear for recent years now, namely in the last 6-8 years, but with Adidas, there was never a chance to jump into the scene. Yeezy consistently flooded the market within the Adidas footwear department in the 2010s and early 2020s, allowing the brand to cater to clothing that would match the vibe of the athletic and stylish sneaker styles they would release in collaboration with Ye. However, there are style options available that can be a huge success for the brand in the mid-2020s, aside from footwear. 

With more and more brick-and-mortar stores popping up, it would be refreshing to see Adidas cater to the fashion that has arrived in the fashion scene for them, including soccer jerseys and classic tracksuits. More and more people are open to rocking jerseys nowadays, especially with Playboi Carti opening up a new style to wear NBA jerseys backward again and with the rise of streamers like IShowSpeed showing huge love for the soccer scene, always wearing soccer jerseys, this could be something for Adidas to look into as a brand and venture into within the fashion world. 

More and more fashion trends are beginning and Adidas can capitalize and be ahead of the game by creating vintage items at a reasonable price from their back catelogue.