From headlining festivals to performing at the Oscars to his increasingly bombastic runway shows as creative director of Louis Vuitton Men’s, Pharrell Williams has graced just about every stage of every scale you could possibly imagine. Still, even an icon of his stature has to take a moment to appreciate having a place on what legitimately might be the biggest stage in the world: the Olympics. “I would have never thought someone like me would ever be able to do something as symbolic and meaningful as this,” Williams exclusively told GQ via email. At Friday’s opening ceremony, Williams served as the final bearer of the Olympic torch for the 2024 Paris Games, carrying the iconic flame to the top of the Basilica of Saint-Denis and symbolically kicking off the athletic spectacle. Eagle-eyed viewers (and sneakerheads) may have noticed that he donned a special pair of kicks for the occasion: his latest collaboration with Adidas, a new colorway of the heralded Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 performance runner.
The games have long served as a stage for the intersection of sport and fashion. Designers like Ralph Lauren have long been associated with the Olympics and every year some new designer seems to break through with an elite ensemble for a nation’s team at the opening ceremony (this year, the honor goes to Rwandese brand Moshions, who crushed South Sudan’s fits for the occasion). Sportswear brands reliably show out with flashy new performance kicks, custom colorways, and apparel to match. For Adidas, when one of your highest-profile collaborators is the final Olympic torchbearer, it makes sense that he’d lace up a special pair of shoes for the occasion.
Williams is the first to collaborate with the brand on the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1, a carbon plate running shoe that stands as the brand’s most innovative and high-tech sneaker. It’s being laced up by plenty of Adidas athletes at the games this year, but it’s also a popular sneaker for hobbyists and folks training for their first marathon. The shoe’s universal reach is part of what drew Williams to add his touch to it. “My mission is to encourage well-being, and this sneaker allows me to do that,” he said. “I’m constantly inspired by the world and humanity around me, and that comes through in the colorway.”
One might expect a pair of Pharrell-designed runners to be a little more bombastic, but he kept it simple and thoughtful when it came time to design the colorway. Honing in on the global nature of the event (the colorway is literally dubbed ‘Earth’ by Williams and the stripes), Williams draws attention to the multicolored stripes–green, blue, and brown–adorning the shoe’s simple white upper and sole. “[It’s] shades pulled from our planet; land, ocean, and sky,” he explained.
Beyond the special colorway commemorating the event, the shoe boasts all the state-of-the-art innovation you’d expect from a carbon plate running shoe. The plate itself (a popular innovation in long-distance running shoes these days that provides an explosive stride without compromising stability) is encased in a sole made from the brand’s special Lightstrike Foam, providing a durable cushion and smooth stride transition from heel to toe. It comes in at an ultra-light 138 grams, doing away with any unnecessary bulk or weight–crucial when you’re clocking 26.2 miles at a time.
For those looking to lace up a pair of the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1’s black and white general release colorway, the shoe is currently available on the Adidas website for $500. Release details for the Pharrell Williams ‘Earth’ colorway remain forthcoming.