daniel arsham x adidas new york sneaker is unveiled

snarkitecture‘s daniel arsham has collaborated with adidas on a new version of the brand’s new york silhouette. based upon the artist’s interest in archeology and old relics, the shoe sports a fresh white color with frayed edges which run along the surface. in addition to this, a short film has been created highlighting the concept and cryptic nature that surrounds the design. 

the rugged sneaker features ‘the past is present’ written along the sole which is only visible when placed underneath an ultraviolet light. this feature runs through to the stitching which is also UV active. the finishing touch is the phone number on the heel which pays homage the artist’s work with adidas in the past.

arsham is well known for his interest in fossilized objects, volcanic materials and ancient relics which flow throughout each of his works. his ‘future relics’ series for example took icons from contemporary culture and turned them into veritable fossils. his collaboration with adidas continues to explore the concept of time in both a fictional and factual manner which establishes a delicate tension between the two elements.

regarding these two ideas arsham states ‘I think the phrases are interchangeable and I think more than anything, both in my work and in this project, I’m trying to create a sense of fluidity in time where you’re not quite sure when something might exist or when it’s from,” he says. ‘there’s a kind of uncanny sense when you’re looking at something from your own life with the perspective of time which is a sort of jarring sensation. in my work I’ve always tried to create a sense where I can let things float in time. they could be now, they could be in the past, they could be in the future.’

the daniel arsham x adidas new york is set for release at select adidas retailers in limited quantities on july 22nd, 2017.