A couple of weeks back I featured the adiStar Racer (three of them, in fact) from adidas Originals’ list of retro runners. As I am trying to compile black/white silhouettes, I couldn’t pass up on these. The adiStar’s got a real sleek look, and they get a high grade for being comfortable and lightweight.

There are a couple other colors available for the adiStar Racer. Pick them up today at adidas stores nationwide for 4,495 php.

You can’t go wrong with classics. Just in time for Summer, adidas released the Superstar II in classic black and white colorways. Next to white on white AF1s, these Superstars come in a close second. Pick up your pair for this year for 3,595 php each.

I know this is way overdue but it’s an exclusive I got when I took my trip to adidas HQ. So aside from speaking with Travis Blasingame about Basketball Apparel, I was able to visit the aIT (adidas Innovation Team) lab. I thought I was going to see a room full of treadmills and machines testing the human body (similar to what Russia had with Ivan Drago in Rocky 4). But upon entering the Sports Research and aIT area, it was pretty straightforward… up until Elysia explained what goes on at the aIT lab.

adidas’ HQ in the US focuses on Basketball, as it is much a big sport in the US as opposed to Germany. They have a simulated a basketball court within the aIT Lab to really test the athlete in his/her natural surroundings. Elysia Davis, Sport Researcher for adidas Basketball, ran me through the whole aIT set up. A lot of their studies are based on Biomechanics– the study of the structure and function of the body– which helps them to achieve the best possible product for their athlete to perform better. They do a lot of tests at the lab, from jumping, running, and other tests that quantifies performance of both the athlete and their products, whether it be apparel or footwear.

Their NBA players do roll around the office whenever they’re in town to do tests. Sometimes they get college or even high school players to test their products, after all, it’s the regular person who needs to be at ease with their footwear. We also got to talk about their NBA assets- Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose and their involvement with the aIT. Team adidas had nothing but praises for them as well as their full roster of players. The two All-Stars would really tell them what they like about it, how it feels on their foot, how it works for or against them, and this information definitely helps them come up with even better ones down the road.

One lab test they showed me was of the San Antonio Spurs’ James Anderson. Not a lot of you know about him, but yes, he’s on the roster. Click on the video to see how he performs on their fitness tests.

By this time my brain was full. There really is a lot to take in and you’ll really appreciate what goes behind one shoe. Imagine how many thousands of hours goes into one pair, and they do about 30-40 or so pairs a season. The Biomechanical Test Lab was the last stop of the aIT tour. Here computers and machines test out the footwear on various surfaces, masses, force, and other elements to really make your shoe a quality pair. Circuits are built into the shoe to test them and they have machines that can really measure and calibrate the shoe’s performance. The aIT Biomechanical Test Lab houses a couple of machines, some purchased, some made from scratch by their engineers, to really get the most out of their shoe. There were some pairs that were being tested, all of them I cannot divulge (ha! watch out fellas, there are a couple of amazing pairs headed our way).

All in all the aIT experience really made me appreciate technology and innovation on a whole new level. Some of us are led to believe a certain things and it’s a whole different thing when you actually see them really putting in the work to come up with these quality products. I swear by the Rose 2.5 and last year’s Crazy Light (and the Crazy Light 2 set to launch this June locally). These pairs are aesthetically pleasing but once you understand the tech and innovation behind them, you know you’re getting value for your money. Thanks to adidas Philippines for making the connection to adidas HQ, and Paul Jackiewicz and Elysia Davis for showing me around the aIT. More Sole Movement exclusives coming your way soon!

This retro release further reinforces adidas’ foothold on the Retro category. The adidas Achill was first introduced in the 60s and has been reissued a couple of times since. This variant of the Achill was taken from 1974, where they replaced the nylon upper to an all suede one. The shoe uses D-Ring eyelets and gum soles for a more updated look.

You can pick them up today for 4,195 php.

Yup, picked these up too. Been in the game for over 15 years, you know you can’t go wrong with black and white pairs. adidas used breathable black canvas on the Adi Ease’s upper and vulcanized soles for the outsole. What more do you need? Pick the adidas Adi Ease up today.

When you’re legit, you’re legit. #alloriginals

Here’s another shoe I picked up over the past couple of days. With the sun still up, the ADI KIEL is perfect for the sunny summer weather. The Kiel runs leather patches on the stripes, tongue and heel patch set against a washed out a tonal dark indigo canvas upper.

Pick up the Adi Kiel today for 5,395 php. These will look good while you chill this afternoon at the adidas Sunset BBQ with DJ Neil Armstrong on the 1s and 2s.

It was the 30th of April and a friend told me of a secret spot that carried a couple of limited edition kicks that were worth checking out. I rushed there from work and looked for my size. Sadly, they didn’t carry them. I asked them to call their other branches to see if they still had my size (a 10.5 US). They did. I went to the next mall just in time before closing. Yes, these are Superstars. But a tad different. adidas and Japanese sneaker spot atmos collaborated on these Glow in the Dark Snake-skin Superstars. I saw these at the atmos site and thought that I had no chance in hell in picking them up.

These were right around the Jap retail price but definitely worth it. I guess the cat’s out of the bag. An atmos franchise was supposed to open here but something happened along the way. If you’re a fan of NB (atmos x NB collab), Nike (Max Plus 1.5s and CP3.V Tokyo23s), adidas (Ultrastars, Attitudes, and Skateboarding) and Reebok (Insta Pump Fury Ltd Editions, Pumps, etc.), they have them in stock.

Last year adidas rolled their full line of adiZero footwear- basketball, football, tennis, running, and everything else in between. As it is adidas’ lightweight category, they’ve developed a whole slew of trainers, runners and the like over the past few months. Here we have the latest offering from their running line, the adiZero F50 2.0.

This lightweight runner uses FORMOTION in the heel for better cushioning and adiPRENE in the forefoot for better propulsion. Like other adiZero pairs, the SPRINTWEB/SPRINTFRAME construction is apparent, giving the user a more breathable yet stable upper.  There are a bunch of colors available for both men and women for the F50 2.0. Pick them up today at adidas stores everywhere for 5,695 php.

adidas continues to tap into their vast and rich archive by bringing back the adiStar Racer. The sleek, lightweight, dual-layer mesh built retro runner is back to give you an updated look for the season. Available in 6 colorways (3 currently available at adidas stores), uses a dual-layer mesh to keep you ventilated while the leather stripes and heel patch create the contrast on texture when paired up with the suede overlays.

The adidas adiStar Racer is now available at adidas stores today for 4,495 php.