Typical of any CLOT collaboration, its adidas Originals link up is anything but conventional.

The Hong Kong-based lifestyle label, which has aimed to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western culture since its inception in 2003, debuted its forthcoming Spring/Summer 2024 adidas collaboration at Shanghai Fashion Week in earlier October, one that includes preppy takes on sportswear label’s Superstar silhouette.

Now, in-hand images of some of the adidas footwear featured in CLOT’s runway presentation have surfaced online via @Le.Syndrome and, well, they’re even more impressive up close.

Take the shark tooth-soled Superstars, for instance, which arrive reimagined as a leather dress shoes with tassels and a co-branded tongue. They are, as Highsnobiety’s Morgan Smith put it, fitting for when you have a meeting at 4 but a Run DMC concert at 5.

CLOT

Initially, the thought of a formal adidas sneaker seemed like a confusing concoction to me, but in reality and up close, they make perfect sense. In fact, I’m inclined to say that I prefer CLOT’s new-look Superstars to the original archival silhouette.

CLOT

Elsewhere in the collection, CLOT has also revamped adidas’ Samba with a comfortable-looking fabric upper and espadrille-like soles, one of which also included another shark tooth sole.

In truth, CLOT’s entire runway show was a who’s who of collaborative partners. Alongside adidas, the Edison Chen co-founded label also previewed releases with Crocs, sacai, The North Face, and 1017 ALYX 9SM.

That being said, CLOT’s adidas Superstars are by far and away the most impressive of the bunch. They’re formal, yet casual. Preppy, yet street. They are, to be frank, extremely CLOT. Which is never a bad thing.