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Now this right here is hype personified in a shoe silhouette that's been given some all-ages scope this time around. Kazuki, Neighborhood and the adidas Superstar is a serious match. If you recall the cold night of December 31st, 2004 you might recall the Neighborhood addition to the Superstar35 shifting units at midnight for the project's launch, successfully reinforcing the Consortium concept and making what we believe to be a top 5 collaborative shoe. Considering the number of partner pieces from the last decade, that's quite an achievement. But that silhouette, dissected from the original version isn't on the level of the 1980s version of the shoe. The Superstar 80s is our favourite version of the Shelltoe, and bringing Neighborhood's new LUKER sub-range in on the act is a premium excuse to print lucre. The off-white sole unit and shell, tonal 3-Stripes, heel tape, pigskin lining, flat foam tongue with a nifty shield logo that's echoed on the heel is good, and that white or black (this time with a contrasting shell) tumbled leather is outstanding quality.

But the grown-up versions are just the icing on the cake. There's mini-me versions. As premiered in Berlin earlier in the year, the child and baby variations are a killer application, whether it's an "aaaah" inducing toddler's version or the "aaaaaaaaaaah" inducing Velcro-strapped baby take on the black Superstar. These might be one of the best things we've seen all year. There's something wrong about decking an infant in limited editions to the point where it's very, very right. Both shoes are worth raising a family for. Sure, there'll be sleepless nights, personal sacrifices and extra stress, but look — mini Neighborhood adidas! A quartet of brilliance. KZK, Neighborhood and adidas is for the children like ODB. These are scheduled to arrive at Crooked Tongues and other Originals by Originals retailers on Friday the 13th of August. Call us presumptuous, but we're anticipating that they'll exit the store with a certain rapidity. Excellent stuff.

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