Believe it or not, it was once considered odd to wear basketball shoes off the court. However, over time, as the ethos of the sport seeped into everyday culture, wearing your sneakers to school or the mall became widely acceptable. Now, adidas aims to do something similar with its newest collaboration with Kawasaki, with shoes inspired by the Japanese dealership’s Ninja motorcycles.
Available in two styles — the ZX 5K Boost and the ZX 8000 — these adidas, however, are not riding boots. Instead, they’re meant to express your love for riding throughout your everyday life, even when you’re not on your bike. The ZX 8000 model is made to resemble the livery on the Ninja ZX-R 750-H2 bike, with a heavy trim of Kawasaki’s signature green color with blue accents, all over a white skin. Three laces options are included: green, blue, and white. The backside of the leather upper has a metallic silver design that echoes the same design language of the bike itself. The interior side of the shoe has the Ninja font largely emblazoned on the upper as well.
For those who want a sleeker and subtler look, there’s the ZX 5K Boost, which takes after the livery on Kawasaki’s flagship ZX-10R superbike. It is almost entirely blacked out except for a dark gray trim and green accents with a smaller Ninja wordmark on the outside front of the textile upper, and the laces come in either black or green. While both models are equipped with adidas’ energy-returning Boost midsoles, the 5K version appears to have more of a cushioned outsole.
First debuting in 1984, adidas ZX line of running shoes put the brand at the forefront of footwear technology. Coincidentally, Kawasaki Ninja bikes are less colloquially known as the ZX models (also debuting in 1984). Both adidas and Kawasaki came into their own in the ‘80s, and now they’ve come together to celebrate their individual impact on culture. Add the ZX 5K Boost to your collection for $160 or the ZX 8000 for $120 at adidas’ online store on April 14.
