…AND THE REST OF THIS WEEK’S SHOES NEWS

adidas by Raf Simons gets all arty

I’m already a fan of the Raf Simons collaboration with adidas Originals (I have a pair of Stan Smiths from a previous collection) but the latest series is such a clever idea – I love it! The former Christian Dior and Calvin Klein designer has taken designs from archive trainers, and basically painted the details on to other styles.

Using two of the most iconic adidas styles as a “backdrop” – the Stan Smith and the adilette pool slide – the details from the Micropacer (1984-88), the Torsion Conquest Super (1990-92), the L.A. Trainer (1979-80), the Samba (1962-67) and the Peachtree (1985) have been transposed on, giving a trompe-l’oeil effect. If you used to watch Changing Rooms, you will know what this means! If not, it’s just painting to give a 3D effect, and is usually used to paint things like columns on to flat walls. Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen would be proud.

You can see authentic touches from the original shoes that were photographed to create the designs, such as stains and general wear and tear, which looks cool and gives a feel of the retro shoes’ previous lives. The Stan Smiths are available from this Thursday, April 12th, and the adilette slides from May 17th at adidas.com.