Two brands obsessed with speed and performance are coming together
Although their respective excellence is in two completely different, but equally intriguing industries, Mercedes-AMG and Adidas are pioneers in exploring the limits of high performance. The Benz-backed tuning giant at Affalterbach has been the beating heart of the automaker’s high-performance ambitions for decades. At the same time, the brand with the three stripes has pioneered performance wear and sneakers for top athletes in a wide range of sports, from soccer (football), basketball, and running.
Now, the two have announced a bold collaboration blending AMG’s high-performance EV innovation with cutting-edge sportswear design. Whether on the racetrack or the running track, this link celebrates each other’s commitment to pushing boundaries and rewriting records with a line of limited-edition sneakers and a sleek EV-inspired sports bag.
Adidas
Speed meets style
The partnership between Mercedes-AMG and Adidas comes on the heels of an impressive feat achieved by the Affalterbach engineers with their latest creation. Last week, AMG announced that the high-performance electric CONCEPT AMG GT XX shattered records during an extended outing at the infamous Nardò Technical Center in Italy. In just 24 hours, the car covered 3,405 miles, and went on to cover just over 24,901 miles in just eight days, setting a string of new endurance and distance records for an electric vehicle.
However, AMG wasn’t the only one breaking records. On the same track, Adidas powered long-distance runner Sibusiso Kubheka and five others to complete a record-breaking 100 km (62.1 miles) run.
Adidas
The South African runner completed the feat in under six hours, at 5 hours, 59 minutes, and 20 seconds, becoming the first runner ever to break the six-hour mark. According to Adidas Chief Creative Officer Alasdhair Willis, his secret weapon was a custom-tailored setup of Adidas footwear and apparel for this record, which used the latest in speed and cooling technology.
In a statement, AMG CEO Michael Schiebe said that the records set by both AMG and Adidas demonstrate “the enormous synergies between our two brands,” adding that the two share “a tireless ambition to take the pinnacle of performance to ever greater heights.”
“Together with Mercedes-AMG, we’re showing what’s possible when a team of radical dreamers comes together and makes history through technology, power, and athletic prowess,” Adidas Chief Creative Officer Alasdhair Willis said in a statement.
Mercedes-Benz
Yes, you can buy this bag and these sneakers
The best thing about this collaboration between Mercedes-AMG and Adidas is that they aren’t confining this collection to just friends, family, and Adidas-signed athletes. They have a bunch of equipment you can buy, including an exclusive sports bag and a collection of limited-edition sneakers.
Although the bag may look like a run-of-the-mill premium leather gym bag or banker bag, it carries its automotive roots in its materials. Like the interior of the new AMG GT XX, this expertly handcrafted bag is made out of LABFIBER, a biotech leather alternative made from recycled rubber, vegetable proteins, and biopolymers, which gives it the look and feel of leather while being more sustainable. It will be made as part of a limited production run.
Mercedes-Benz
As for the shoes, there will be six sneakers created as part of the ADIZERO x Mercedes-AMG collection, which feature a uniquely striking black and red colorway as a nod to AMG’s high-performance roots. The lineup includes high-performance running shoes like the Adizero Adios Pro 4 as well as track spikes like the Adizero Ambition, Adizero Avanti, and the Adizero Prime SP4. In addition, the collection also includes popular road running shoes like the Adizero Prime X 3 Strung and the Adizero Evo SL, which bring advanced cushioning and energy return for your runs logged on Strava. These pieces will be available through the Adidas app and select retail stores.
Final thoughts
The collaboration between Mercedes-AMG and Adidas isn’t just a one-off stunt, as its reach stretches across motorsport, apparel, and consumer products. Adidas is the official outfitter of its motorsport divisions, including the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 team. According to Adidas, the runners who aimed to beat the 100km record wore some of the same clothes it developed for the F1 team, including a clever “fan jacket” with technology that “minimized athletes’ core temperature and heart rate in the first hour of performance, supporting overall endurance.”
Although this sort of high-performance stuff is the kind of running gear made for marathon trainers and track athletes, the partnership between Mercedes-AMG and Adidas is a clever way to showcase that both brands are on the razor’s edge of high performance. According to the two companies, “further exciting projects in the field of motorsport” are coming further down the pipeline. Hopefully, these include some more casual products; I wouldn’t mind an AMG-branded Adidas Campus or Stan Smith.
