Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles was in Las Vegas for the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix this past weekend and the world's fastest man had something special on his feet for the occasion — Bad Bunny and adidas Originals' latest collaboration, the Adizero SL72. Though the style had been rumored at the top of November, this is our first look at it — and as its name indicates, it's a hybrid that combines design cues from the upper of the SL72 with a modern Adizero bottom and plenty of layered detailing, almost like a shedding cocoon.
The color Lyles sported appears to be the "Off White/Chalk/Wonder White," a monochromatic style that lets the unique construction speak for itself save for a few hits of blue branding and a single black embellishment on the heel. The uppermost reaches of the shoe are all classic SL72, but as you head closer to the midsole, there's a rough-hewn mesh seam that serves as the starting point for a more modern running shoe assemblage, with wide mesh, shaggy suede overlays and lined details on the heel. Down below, a trim midsole rounds the look off.
In recent months, Lyles has been adamant about receiving his own signature sneakers — not track spikes — from adidas, and has noted that even the biggest track stars are overlooked for those types of partnerships. “I feel like, for how many medals we get, the notoriety we bring back, the fact that that hasn’t happened, that’s crazy to me,” he said after securing a gold medal in the 100m at the Paris Olympic Games.
Nevertheless, the world's fastest man seems to like his fellow adidas representative's work.
Stay tuned for more info on the Bad Bunny x adidas Adizero SL72 as it's made available. Early reports have three different colorways of the model pegged for a December 15 release, but this has yet to be confirmed by adidas.
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