Ever since the legendary 2018 Dragon Ball Z collection, adidas has held the blueprint for executing anime crossovers without descending into gimmicks. Continuing that tradition of gaming nostalgia, the Three Stripes bridges the Kanto and Hoenn regions with a new collaboration. The Pokémon x adidas ZX 500 Rayquaza channels the legendary Sky High Pokémon onto one of adidas' most celebrated 1980s retro runners.

Perhaps the most surprising success here is how seamlessly it translates the Legendary Dragon/Flying-type’s serpentine design onto the ZX 500's layered upper. 

Rather than just slapping a character graphic onto a basic upper, adidas nods to Rayquaza’s distinctive scale patterns, golden body markings, and reptilian color scheme. The effect is a shoe that actually feels wearable even separated from its subject matter.

Dressed in a rich emerald-green palette, the upper captures Rayquaza's scales with textured suede and premium leather overlays. High-contrast hits of bright yellow and vivid crimson red trace the side panels and branding, mimicking the glowing yellow rings and red fins.

The upper is built from a mix of dark green mesh, suede, and scale-textured leather. Custom Pokémon x adidas co-branding adorns the woven tongue tag, as well as bold dubraes to each foot.

In so many similar cases, a collaboration like this caters only to the Pokemon fans. Here, though, with a curated palette of good fabrics and a focus on overall wearability, the collaboration slots nicely into universal rotations, detached slightly from its original subject matter.

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