A new collaboration has hit the streets as part of Adidas’ merch drop ahead of the 2026 World Cup. On Episode 177, American Outlaws co-founder Justin Brunken stops by to chat about a cool shoe they have released for members and fans alike.
The AO Adidas shoe uses the Barreda Decode model as the canvas, creating a blue shoe with a sublimated star design among the leather part of the shoe. The Adidas 3 stripes on each side is mostly white with one side having a red trim. The AO logo is on the heel of the shoe on a red background
and is also present in a repeated pattern down the blue tongue of the shoe.
On the podcast. Justin speaks on the inspiration behind the new AO shoe and how they came to collaborate with Adidas to design a shoe to try and bridge the gap between the 1994 World Cup and today, bringing nostalgia to a modern shoe.
(Note: the author is a former member of the national board and staff of the American Outlaws.)
“It was a bit of just hounding them on this idea of a shoe, but also getting a bit lucky that we have [an AO] member that’s a shoe designer within Adidas that simultaneously had the idea and basically designed a shoe for the American Outlaws,” Brunken said on how the shoe came together. “Almost at the same time, we were talking to Adidas about a shoe and the relaunch of their iconic Denim jersey from 1994. And sure enough, when this shoe got presented by that designer…they were like, ‘Oh, this makes so much sense.”
Eric Palmquist had the design in his mind and was able to get it in front of the people at Adidas. Brunken said that the process came pretty quickly to make the design a reality.
“How do you make something retro but still look modern? That’s a tough thing to do and put it on a modern shoe. So, I thought he nailed it,” he said. “It’s pretty rare to submit a shoe design and hardly have any pushback and massive changes to the design. And he didn’t get that at all. Internally, they were like ‘Yeah, this is great. Let’s go.’”
The AO shoe has a limited run of 2,026 pairs and members get the first crack at purchasing the shoe ($95 retail price) before it’s opened to non-members.
Adidas also released their Denim collection, including a re-release of the Denim jersey that the USMNT wore at the 1994 World Cup. Because of licensing prohibitions, Adidas was not able to replicate the U.S. Soccer crest that adorned the 1994 version. So, the American Outlaws worked with World Soccer Shop to allow the option of customizing the AO logo over the left chest and sleeve for fans that want it. It’s part of an aggressive campaign by Adidas to bring back memories of 1994 as people look ahead to this summer. The shoe is made to complement that jersey to create a stylish look for the upcoming summer of World Cup soccer.
“We’re thrilled to have been able to once again partner with WorldSoccerShop to help us bring a timeless kit to life in a way that’s really meaningful to the passionate fanbase of American Outlaws,” Justin Brunken said.
The AO x Adidas collaboration on a special edition shoe and customization of the Denim re-release are equipped to try and excite fans ahead of this summer’s World Cup. But the legacy Justin Brunken hopes to create is for soccer support to continue its exponential growth in the United States through the strengthening of the numerous communities across the country.
“All the work it took over the last World Cups, all the way from ‘94 to today, it took all that supporter work and other work to build to where soccer fandom is in this country already. So…this legacy is built over all these different World Cups, and you hope that it continues to grow.”
“There’s a legacy to build an experience. And maybe this is a call to these chapters and people that aren’t able to get to the game to be able to still find an experience that will make you addicted for life [and] to want more of those experiences around the U.S. [national] teams.”
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