Adidas Originals has collaborated with Berlin’s public transport network Berliner Verkehsbetriebe to launch a pair of trainers that feature the same pattern as the city’s subway seats. The EQT Support 93/Berlin shoes feature a multi-coloured camouflage-style print that is typical of BVG seat covers. They also come with an annual season ticket for the BVG – in the form of a pair of fabric tickets attached to the tongues.

This gives wearers unlimited access to Berlin public transport from 16 January to 31 December in 2018. Adidas first launched the EQT Support ADV in 1990s. The style gained a reputation among young people in East Berlin following the fall of the Berlin Wall, even serving as its own form of cultural currency. With this updated version, the brand pays tribute to the city’s streetwear culture.

“The city and its people have shaped both the brand and the concept,” said Till Jagla, senior director of Adidas Originals. The limited-edition collection of 500 pairs sees the classic model updated in a black mesh canvas with white leather inserts, with the subway-seat print covering the TPU plastic that wraps the wearer’s ankles.

The trainer also features the brand’s iconic three stripes in black, which double as eyelets for the yellow laces, and a chunky white midsole. “I believe that Berlin plays a special role in street culture,” said Jagla. “Through connecting people at the heart of the city, BVG was the perfect inspiration for this limited EQT 93/17.”

Adidas is not the first sportswear brand to find inspiration on a public transport system. Just last year, Nike released a trainer patterned with the font used by Transport for London. The EQT Support 93/Berlin is released on 16 January 2017, coinciding with the 90th anniversary of BVG public transport, which opened in 1928.

Design: Adidas & Berliner Verkehsbetriebe

https://www.dezeen.com/2018/01/12/limited-edition-adidas-trainer-made-from-berlin-subway-seats-footwear-fashion/