Interview: adidas x MLS Archive Collection

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adidas and MLS are taking their partnership to a new fashion-forward frontier with the inaugural adidas x MLS Archive Collection.

The adidas x MLS Archive Collection taps into retro vibes with bold designs that bring local stories to life. The debut lineup includes third jerseys, track tops, and customized Gazelle shoes for Inter Miami CF, LA Galaxy, LAFC, Portland Timbers, and Sporting Kansas City.

Drawing inspiration from the nostalgic aesthetics of sports broadcasting, advertising, magazines, and catalogs, this collection fuses various visual elements to craft unique narratives for each club.

2024 marks the debut of the adidas x MLS Archive Collection, with plans to expand the third jersey offerings to more clubs in 2025 and beyond.

We spoke with Zola Short, Senior Director of Soccer Sports Marketing at adidas, to learn more about the collection and how the partnership will grow.

Nice Kicks: What was the selection process for the first 5 clubs? Additionally, what made adidas go with the Gazelle for this collection instead of the Samba, Copa, or another sneaker?

Zola Short: To kick things off, we knew we wanted a mix of clubs at different points in their respective journeys. As you can see across the Archive Collection, the idea wasn’t to create 1:1 retro kits. Our intention was to take 70s, 80s, and 90s design elements and remix them into something new. And since we weren’t beholden to only working from older kits that were 15 or 20 years old, it led to more possibilities when it came to selecting clubs, so we focused on finding the right mix of clubs that could tap into inspiration from different eras in MLS and North American soccer history.

As for why we chose the Gazelle over other options. It’s a classic silhouette that we all love here, and we thought it deserved some shine. But most importantly, it’s authentic to the story we’re trying to tell. It’s a true “terrace shoe.” You go back and look at older pictures and you can spot Gazelles on the feet of fans and supporters the world over. This is one of those great moments where inspiration and product match up perfectly.

NK: Could you go over the design inspiration for each of the 5 kits, especially the Timbers and LAFC as the inspiration might not be as clear for fans as the other 3 clubs.

ZS: As mentioned earlier, we weren’t particularly interested in forcing clubs to recreate old kits 1:1, just with modern materials.

We really wanted each club to think about an element of their identity or their community that they wanted to celebrate, and then we challenged ourselves to work through how we might best bring that story to life through a retro lens.

Of course, if a club wanted to use a kit from the past for inspiration, we were all for it. But some clubs didn’t have a kit from the 90s or earlier to tap into, so we collectively asked ourselves the question, “If the club had existed in the 70s, 80s, or 90s what would their kits have looked like?” For LAFC that meant taking a sunset inspiration while also leaning into the earth tone color palette and blocking that was so prominent in the 70s and 80s.

Whereas for a club like the Timbers, they chose to celebrate Clive Charles, a legendary player, coach, and mentor who had an incredible impact on soccer in North America. The club saw this as a chance to honor and celebrate a person who meant a great deal not just to them but to the city, the region, and the game itself.

NK: What’s your favorite detail of each club’s collection?

ZS: There are so many incredible details and nice touches across all these kits, but I honestly love the front-script across each kit. We’re really glad that we could work with our partners for the tremendous opportunity we had here — to do something that would stand out when compared to not just the other kits we create for MLS clubs but around the world.

The fact that all the scripts are different but through their front-jersey placement help to tell a larger story about the Archive Collection itself is great. It’s cool that it all came together so well.

NK: What more can fans expect from this adidas x MLS archive partnership?

ZS: There’s so much more to come. We can’t really talk about it yet, but we’re really excited to show everyone what we’ve been working on for the past few years. I would just tell fans across the league to stay tuned.

NK: How else can we see adidas and MLS integrate themselves into streetwear and culture beyond the pitch?

ZS: For us, it starts with product. And we’re grateful our MLS clubs are amazing partners. Every kit design we bring to life through our club relationships is a collaborative one.

And what we’ve found is that when we build product stories from club-specific insights, our creation team can take those insights and develop some of the most unique product in sports. When we do that season after season, year after year, people take notice.