Adidas has teamed up with Harajuku-based sneaker specialist Atmos to release their latest – and third – collaborative sneaker design that’s inspired by the city of Shibuya in the limited edition “Shibuya Pack.”
The brand new design is simply called “Hachiko” since they’re inspired by Shibuya’s most famous dog. It’s also called Superstar Dog, because it’s a reinterpretation of the classic Adidas Superstar sneaker design.
Hachiko is unique in that it translates the look of the Japanese Akita, with the surface of the shoe covered in a brown fuzzy faux fur surface reminiscent of Hachiko’s fur. The fur is contrasted with dark brown stripes, laces, and suede heel overlays. The tongue features branded silver plates, while the insoles is imprinted with the “You Make Shibuya” logo mark.
The midsole reveals another nod to Hachiko – the Dogenzaka address where its statue sits outside Shibuya Station.
Who’s Hachiko?
For those who don’t know, the famous dog statue parked outside Shibuya Station is actually an homage to Hachiko, an Akita dog who waited for the return of his master (a University of Tokyo professor) every day outside Shibuya Station. One fateful day in 1925, the professor died at work in the university and didn’t return home. Yet Hachiko continued waiting for his master, faithfully returning to the station every single day until his own death 9 years later.
Hachiko’s deed is still remembered to this day; in addition to his statue outside Shibuya Station, there’s also a statue of him on the grounds of Tokyo University.
The Shibuya Pack
Adidas and Atmos have been releasing designs of the Shibuya Pack over the last few months.
The first instalment, dropped in early August, was called “Yoyogi Park” and is available in ZX 8000 and Forum Low models. Designed with a mix of leather and suede, both models feature colourways representing the hues of autumn in the park – earthy brown, mustard yellow, and beige with a pop of green and orange, or violet and burgundy.
The second drop was called the “Denim Pack” which comes in two models: ZX 8000 and Superstar. While the Superstar is actually made from denim, the ZX 8000 isn’t. This line was inspired by American casual street fashion, often seen on the streets of Shibuya, where it’s known as Amekaji.
Since both Packs have been released, you’ll be able to find them at selected shoe retailers in Singapore.
Getting your hands on Hachiko
Atmos is slated to drop Superstar Dog / Hachiko on September 18 for ¥15,400 (approx S$189). To make the deal sweeter, profits from this release will be be returned to Shibuya as part of the “Shibuya Ward Official Souvenir Project” to help the neighbourhood.
However, given that demand is expected to be high, they’ll be available to purchase via a lottery system. According to the official site, applications are accepted online until 8:59 a.m. on 17 September, and is only open to people in Japan.
