crooked tongues magazine News Features

This is a very strange adidas Rising Star colourway, but we can appreciate it at face value. The whole signage-theme has left us pleasantly baffled, with some mixed results. The Forum Mids that were part of the pack have been the highlights so far, but this is such a strange shoe inclusion that we can't ignore it. Rising Stars are one of the definitive adidas runners. They look good with everything. We haven't tried them with a tux like the youths in Sole Collector with their Jordan XIs, but we wouldn't be surprised if it looked good in that context either.

They've been reassuringly expensive in the past, like fellow 1984 classic, the adidas Fire (which had a beautiful retro release in 2006) which had the same interchangeable insert technology, letting you choose your level of support and shock absorption. The Rising Star showcased a new type of synthetic rubber, kangaroo leather, ghilly eyelets, an extended heel counter and half-moc construction that changed the design landscape. Discs? Pumps? Fuggedaboutit! Tactile technologies were perfected right here with this model.

In nubuck and soft leather, this version seems a lot fussier, but as colour schemes go, it's pretty killer. The midsole is pretty green. And we're not talking crappy sh*t-rock vanity projects here — it's very, very busy. Even more so with those inserts. The grassy sockliner imagery seems to indicate a pastoral influence. Is it tractor-styled with that removable Velcro tongue 'ADI' sign? The greys, brown and a wildcard application of blue don't send it spiraling into Oddity territory, but tree branch emboss is hardly clean either. A mad, mad makeup. We're hoping there's more Rising Stars on the horizon. These drop in August and are available to pre-order in the Crooked Tongues store now...

See all adidas shoes instore now
See all adidas pre-buys instore now