Kith and adidas Football present an exclusive collaboration with Lionel Messi, celebrating the 20th anniversary of his debut on the world stage and Kith's 15th anniversary.
The Kith & Messi for adidas Football collection celebrates Messi's legacy and impact both on and off the pitch and is therefore comprised of performance and lifestyle products. All silhouettes and styles were designed collaboratively by Ronnie Fieg and Lionel Messi, as the two met multiple times over the course of a year to hand-curate this first-of-its-kind assortment.
Branding from Kith, Messi, and adidas Football runs throughout the range, with select styles finished with 20th- and 15th-anniversary crests, along with the commemorative KXVH Monogram.
The on-pitch product includes jerseys inspired by pivotal moments in Messi's career, reimagined with Kith, adidas Football, and Messi motifs. There are two 2006-inspired jerseys bearing Messi's original number 19, as well as two jerseys featuring his now-iconic number 10.
Each jersey was designed with a corresponding pair of shorts to complete the full kit. Additional styles include all-over printed long-sleeve goalkeeper jerseys and gloves, tracksuits, nylon warm-up pullovers, socks, a ball bag, and two sizes of co-branded footballs.
The off-field range blends Kith's meticulous attention to detail with adidas Football's design language. Styles include a double-breasted suit, a short-sleeve crossover blazer with matching suit shorts, a washed denim jacket and matching shorts, a knit polo, wool tracksuits, a leather duffle bag, and more.
There are six footwear styles created for the collection, each paying homage to Messi's iconic career through both performance and lifestyle lenses. The first performance-inspired style harkens back to the very first time Kith and adidas Football partnered in 2017, as the duo reintroduce the COPA Mundial 17 UltraBOOST, complete with a snakeskin-embossed texture on the leather upper.
The next style is the F50 Megaride, which features a gradient upper and is defined by a translucent midsole that changes appearance with interchangeable insoles. Rounding out the performance trilogy is the F50 Walkable Cleat, inspired by the first adidas cleat worn by Messi during the 2006 World Cup.
The lifestyle models include two colorways of the Handball Spezial, both featuring premium suede uppers and gum sole units, as well as a special deconstructed iteration of the Superstar.
To commemorate the collection, Kith, Messi, and adidas Football have created two limited-edition trading cards depicting imagery of the Argentinian icon alongside graphics from the collection. These cards will be offered as a gift with purchase with any of the four jerseys, as well as any of the six footwear styles.
Randomly inserted into select purchases will be a very limited run of cards signed by Lionel Messi, officially authenticated and graded by industry leader PSA. Fewer than 100 of each card have been signed and graded and will be randomly distributed through in-store and online purchases.
The campaign for this collection stars Lionel Messi in both still photography and a short film. In the still photography, Messi showcases the full range of the collection as he and Fieg intended it to be worn. The short film, titled The International Language of Messi, pays tribute to the global impact and recognition of the icon's name.
Throughout the film, commentators speaking different languages can be heard reacting to some of Messi's most memorable goals, yet no matter what language the viewer speaks, there is one word that remains universally understood—Messi. The film debuted at Nu Stadium during an Inter Miami CF match on May 24th, after which attendees received limited early access to shop the collection on the Kith App.
When is Kith & Messi for adidas Football releasing?
Kith & Messi for adidas Football releases globally on Friday, May 29th at all Kith stores, as well as at 11AM on Kith.com and the Kith App in the New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo time zones. Check out images of Kith & Messi for adidas Football below while we wait for more details about the launch.
In other news, check out the adidas Originals football culture collection, which is releasing soon.
For more Adidas release news, check out more posts on our website or on the Adidas release calendar. Make sure to follow us on Google, Twitter, or Facebook for the latest release news.
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Vlad Ciutacu is a writer based in The Hague, Netherlands. He has been working in the footwear industry for more than a decade, with hundreds of pairs in his collection. His favourite models are the Air Jordan 1 and the Nike SB Dunk Low Pro. Find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
