The Best adidas Collaborations in Recent History

2014 has been a big year for adidas. Taking profits and finances out of the equation, adidas has had no problems showing how committed it is to boxing out its competition with strong moves and nimble strategy, particularly in the area of collaborations. In fact, the list of collaborative partnerships that adidas and its subsidiaries have dreamt up in roughly the last year alone proves that adidas is thinking outside the box of what a sportswear company can be.

While Kanye's much-hyped, much-anticipated adidas collab is still waiting in the wings, there's still plenty to drool over from the land of three stripes. Big names like Opening Ceremony, Neighborhood, Mark McNairy, and Pharrell have attached their creative talents and aesthetics to the German giant, adding to a rapidly growing list of coveted collaborations. More importantly, while these collaborations may contain a sneaker element, they're not entirely about footwear.

The label has always been a reliable classic, but now it's pop culture cache has been rising. Yes, it's always been a major global player, but it's very clear that adidas is now stacking the chips with a collaboration roster that's sure to make any other brand envious. These are The Best adidas Collaborations in Recent History.

Released: August 2014

Real Madrid is one of the biggest, most storied clubs in Spain's La Liga. adidas is the kit sponsor for the squad, and the brand's long-standing relationship with Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto prompted what is definitely one of the best kits in European football. The jersey is technically Real Madrid's third kit, but it certainly deserves to be worn often on and off the pitch. True to Yamamoto's style, the kit is completely black-and-white with one minor twist; a mythical creature that is both dragon and bird adorns the front and back of the jersey—like a monster straight out of a Chinese epic poem. Yamamoto also lent his hand to a redesign of the F50 adidas Adizero boot (aka cleats), with a unique dragon head for each foot. It may have come in as surprisingly as a cross from the left wing, but this is certainly something that is worth scoring whether you love the club or not.

Released: September 2014

It's no secret that Pharrell is on a roll this year, collaborating with Timberland, Uniqlo, and dropping one of the biggest albums of 2014. With his adidas Originals collab, Pharrell joined the label's growing list of high-profile collaborators, yielding both sneakers and apparel. While the kicks selection consisted of single color Stan Smiths in blue, black, and red, the apparel saw the release of leather Superstar track jackets in corresponding colorways. Pharrell wore the leather jackets on several T.V. appearances, increasing the hype and notoriety of the collaboration. If you've seen these jackets in person, you can attest to the dopeness of this project.

Released: September 2014

Palace does things its own way, and for an English skateboard line that's become cool guy brand as much as a skate scene staple, what's perhaps most admirable is this is the original methodology remains intact even after finding rapid global success. Lev Tanju and company partnered up with adidas Originals on a line-up that looks like a blend of British gangsters if they started skating. With full on matching track suits in burgundy or navy, sweats, and bucket hats, the collection looks like the pair's interpretation of the athletic inflection commonly seen in British style and soccer-mad culture, and of course the result had people fiending. The highlights of the collection have to be the jerseys, which play off of real soccer clubs, but instead have Palace branding. The running idea throughout the collaboration is a group of guys always looks doper when they're kitted out like a true squad, and while this was definitely achieved with the Palace x adidas Originals goods, anyone rocking this on their own would look like a goddamn champ.

Released: March 2014

A mix-up of the preppy side of Bedwin and The Heartbreakers with adidas Originals' three stripes, the continuous “Originals by Bedwin” collaboration had the two partners reunite for a collection that is as diverse as each company's background, and the results were a sleeper hits were plentiful; just peep the lookbook. A roll collar stadium jacket is paired with a set of clean leather loafers. A chambray short suit is accompanied by paint splatter low-tops. For their part, the collaboration lookbook proved you could go from the office to the basketball court and still kill it several pieces from the collection. Sometimes, the versatility of sportswear and modern interpretations of classic designs are all you need.

Released: July 2014

With the theme of Paris “as a sailor city,” the collaboration between Ed Banger's Club 75 and adidas Originals is heavy on the nautical imagery as much as the prints. The designs come in either navy and gold, a scheme that featured nautical prints, or a black and white motif that riffed on the adidas and Club 75 logos. The collection is heavy on the all-over prints, and the series includes shorts, sweats, hoodies, tees, and a varsity jacket. The collaboration also prompted a spin on the Stan Smith sneaker, one of the biggest (if not the biggest) collaboration shoe of 2014.

Released: May 2014

Initiated as a way to unite Japan for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, adidas Originals teamed up with Isetan Mitsukoshi, which is a Japanese holding group that specializes in department stores. Together, they created a series of T-shirts consisting of the best brands found in the Isetan Mens' Building. The pack was titled “Enjin,” which translates to the act of getting together in a huddle or circle, which was alluded to in the way that the strips of color on the shirts' backs form a circle when the 12 pieces are huddled up.

The jersey design is very similar to the adidas uniforms that the Japanese national team wore on the pitch, and was not only a conceptual project to honor Japanese design, but also up national camaraderie in time for the global games. The list of designers includes reads like a straight-up all-star squad, and included Anrealage, A.FOUR, Bedwin & The Heartbreakers, BRIGHT THINGS, FACTOTUM, FACETASM, Luker by NEIGHBORHOOD, Porter, SASQUATCHfabrix, and Y-3.

Released: July 2013

As a part of Kazuki Kuraishi and adidas Originals ObyO lines, the duo tapped the talents of Mark McNairy to create a collaboration based around classic adidas sportswear and designs. While some of the pieces were timeless, others gave off retro breakdancer vibes, including straight-leg cuff-bottom trackpants and “three stripe” track jackets. Regardless, if you're into gear from the mind of "McNasty," you've found the right collab.

Released: March 2014

For spring/summer 2014, Opening Ceremony provided a technicolor twist to adidas Originals, creating a collaborative collection that was centered on two things: baseball and taekwondo. The baseball pieces include varsity jackets, pinstripe shirts, leather caps, baseball jerseys, and detailing that resembles the seams on a baseball. For the taekwondo portion of the project, tanktops, sweatpants, track jackets, crewneck sweatshirts, and gi-like T-shirts comprised a collection that was heavily branded with badges adorning much of the collection. Something unique to the collab has to be the Gazelle sneaker, redone in a pull-on design and adorned with a yin-yang symbol to mimic a sparring shoe. The ongoing Opening Ceremony x adidas Originals collaborations are always dope, and this collection was no exception.

Released: Ongoing (Started in 2002)

October 2002 saw the birth of the Y-3 collaboration between Yohji Yamamoto and adidas, a partnership that consistently performs to this day. While the past 10+ years of chopping it up have brought about killer sneakers like the undeniable Qasa model, the clothing collections are the highlight of combining Yamamoto's masterful techniques with adidas' performance-driven DNA. The Y-3 Fall/Winter 2014 collection—and in particular the lookbook video—pays homage to Japanese culture with distinct lines, shapes, and even the drama of manga. Among others, this season's standouts featured French terry sweatpants, drapey sportswear and long jackets, furry trainers, technical outerwear, and of course, the three stripes of adidas. The Fall/Winter 2014 collection was the first Y-3 collection shown at Paris fashion week, and it's no surprise this was smash hit.

Released: October 2014

Neighborhood has collaborated with adidas Consortium before, along with the help of UNDFTD, resulting in a murdered-out pack that focused on kicks but featured a few T-shirts. But for Fall/Winter 2014, a full collection from the Japanese brand and adidas Originals combines designer Shinsuke Takizawa's love of the classic American West and motorcycle culture with the sportswear performance and materials that adidas always brings to the table. If you didn't love Neighborhood before, you will now, and this collaboration offers an entry point to one of the greatest Japanese brands of all time.