Following their first official collab last year, which sold out instantly, KoRn and adidas reunite for round two with the same attention to detail that already made the first one stand out. That’s thanks to the close involvement of the alt-metal veterans themselves, as well as true KoRn connoisseurs being hands-on. But more on that in a moment.
Drawing on the pioneering alt metal band’s irreverent style and love for sporting all things Three Stripes, the collection includes co-branded tube socks, a graphic longsleeve, and a KoRn-ed out Campus 2, who got updated with a furry suede upper and hidden KoRn details.
The fact that the sneaker’s colorway draws on the visual codes of sought-after vintage KoRn tees released during the album cycle of Follow the Leader, the inclusion of the latter’s artwork by Todd McFarlane, the ‘Campus’ lettering stylized in the KoRn font, as well as an ubiquitous awareness of alt-metal aesthetics are no coincidence:
“The kids contacted us, Joe and Ben.”
KoRn’s Jonathan Davis to Complex about the start of the collaboration
In an accompanying video interview, Joe Ling, the adidas footwear designer in charge, and product manager Ben Asquith revealed that they both are die-hard Korn fans themselves and put in years of effort to have KoRn’s very own adidas collection come to fruition. That’s why the accompanying goodies of the Campus 2 – graphic insoles, spare laces in multiple colorways, a set of chunky laces, four stickers, a guitar pick keychain, and a co-branded tour-style box – sound like a KoRn fan’s dream come true: they literally are exactly that.
“Imagine me, being a childhood fan, who came to this brand because of this band, and then I was going to go on a call with this band (…) I was freaking out. Honestly, I couldn’t sleep the night before.”
Joe Ling, adidas footwear designer, about the first call with KoRn
The second adidas x KoRn collection, including the collaborative Campus 2, releases at BSTN on Wednesday, May 15th. Pick up your favorites via the button below!
