Care Bears Come to Life in Massive Footwear Collection with adidas

Crocs may be the king of licensed footwear collaborations, but adidas comes in at a close second. The German sportswear giant has teamed up with a ton of different IPs and franchises over the years and is the main home for Disney sneakers, with more partnerships emerging each and every year. For 2026, Sole Retriever can report that adidas will be teaming up with the beloved Care Bears for a wide range of footwear and apparel.

Originally created in 1981 as cute characters to appear on greeting cards, Care Bears eventually became real-life plush teddy bears and shortly after would appear in animated TV specials. From 1985 to 1988, the Care Bears TV series aired on ABC, and over the years, there have been multiple animated television series, movies, video games, and comics. Merchandise was, of course, a major factor in the success of the Care Bears, with the fuzzy, fun-loving bears appearing in footwear collabs with Crocs and Vans in recent years.

For adidas’ first foray into the Care Bears universe, the Three Stripes brings bears Funshine, Cheer, Grumpy, Bedtime, and Tenderheart to life on the Adilette Slide and Handball Spezial. On the slides, each bear is represented through the color palette and a plushie attached to the forefoot strap. A similar approach is done for the Handball Spezials, which add fuzzy suede materials to mimic the bear's fur as well as hangtag charms featuring the same plushie bear heads.

Outside of the five characters, there are also general Care Bear footwear products, like a branded adidas Samba OG, kids' exclusive silhouettes, Campus 00s, and Superstars. The Campus and Superstar come with fuzzy faux fur details and Care Bear logos throughout, while the Samba OG applies the fur to the Three Stripes and heel tab. On top of these models, there are also Megaride AGs and Adistar Control 5 colorways themed after the franchise.

The Care Bears x adidas Collection will first launch in June 2026, with more drops expected in July. Retail ranges between the silhouettes. Check below for exclusive first looks at pairs from the extensive Care Bears, and download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest happenings in sneakers and streetwear.

Nicholas Vlahos

Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. When not writing for Sole Retriever, I enjoy attending concerts and catching the latest movies. Email: nick@soleretriever.com