Brain Dead's Serving Chromed-p adidas Tennis Shoes Now

Brain Dead is an essential player in the world of footwear collaborations right now. While many collaborators understandably use their opportunity to collaborate with a big name to redesign a fan-favorite silhouette, Brain Dead always looks in the less likely places for inspiration. The Brain Dead x adidas Barricade V follows suit.

Instead of opting for the Samba or the Stan Smith (it’s worth noting that Brain Dead has, actually, already reworked these silhouettes already in its long-standing partnership with the Three Stripes) the LA brand is making a habit of picking out barely known, niche models for its collabs.

After applying its design skills to the Five Ten Guide Tennie Approach Shoe as well as a performance climbing shoe just last month, Brain Dead is back to explore more dusty corners of adidas’ output. This time it’s in the realm of tennis.

Tennis is having a moment right now, so it’s classically well timed from Kyle Ng’s label. While run clubs make way for Instagram-ready tennis clubs, and your favorite names in fashion seem to meet up on the court instead of at the bar now, there’s no better time to drop a pack of wildly striking, metallic tennis shoes.

And we’re not talking vintage tennis shoes, either. While the adidas Barricade V could be worn as a lifestyle shoe thanks to Brain Dead’s bold new take on it, it is very much a functioning, performance model to be worn on court.

Mesh and chromed layers clash on the upper, making for a high-energy finish that’s emphasized by details like furry laces and Brain Dead lettering throughout. If Brain Dead can teach the sneaker world anything, it’s that there’s treasure to be found when you explore beyond the beaten path.

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