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adidas Originals knows how to nail a dual-label with Japan's very best, and this mastermind JAPAN Consortium release is an interesting one. In the current climate, if it's black, Tokyo-affiliated, with skulls in the design, that's the key to sales. Still riffing with minimum chord progressions through that punk rock aesthetic, mastermind's output still maintains an edge - the costs are no joke and the collaborations have been pitch perfect. Especially the Visvim and Goyard ones. The element of mystery helps. Any brand that can work with a motorbike dealership and a purveyor of luxury goods and deliver on both counts is no joke. The lack of retail outlets gives mastermind extra clout in the era of blog-fuelled ubiquity. Masaaki Honma is that dude when many associates have succumbed to the cult of e-celebrity.

Following the lineage of the increasingly impressive Kazuki Kuraishi KZK ObyO line - the next season of which is the best yet adidas have evidently got the hookup when it comes to the Far East. Rather than bash out a series of shoes, with the adidas mastermind JAPAN Hardland this is the Henry Ford approach implemented again. Any colour, as long as its black. Part of a capsule collection alongside some football-themed apparel that might prove to be scarce on these shores, the Hardland is some premium basketball themed hard-metalling with an oversized tongue that broadcasts mastermind's trademark branding, Trefoil on the heel, and some interesting perforations. With that basic rubber sole it's not dissimilar to the Flight Light AC, lambasted on this site, but vastly superior. The minimal d-ring lacing system is something else altogether. And is that a Christian Louboutin nod with the rouge outsole? adidas seem to be popping shots at the designer market that's eating foie gras for breakfast by taking liberal bites from the brand's archive.

We're getting a limited amount of the adidas mastermind JAPAN Hardland in the Crooked Tongues store on June 19th, we're estimating the price going to be around £150. Not cheap, but a long, long way from the usual mastermind pricepoints. We'll also assume that you already know if this is the kind of shoe you're into. Us? We're feeling 'em. But then we're hipster doofuses like that...
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