Ka-Chow: adidas is Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Cars with Lightning McQueen and Mater Cleats
PublishedQuick Facts
- The speedy McQueen cleats add Lightning’s red 95 car graphics to the Adizero Electric II cleats, with flames running up the side panels and a yellow and orange gradient on the Three Stripes logo
- The Mater pair is a rust-orange Adizero Impact II Mid with teal accents and googly eyes on the fold-over tongue
- The Cars x adidas Football Cleat Collection was released on September 6, 2026
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We live in a nostalgia-driven world, and for young millennials and early Gen Zers, the 20th anniversary of Cars is a blast back to Radiator Springs that they can share with the new young kids in their lives. With Lightning McQueen and the gang back in theaters, the birthday blitz has brought a strong run of collabs from across the marketing world, including a handful of footwear partnerships.
Life is a Highway
After adding Cars characters back to the Crocs catalog, the latest movie collab adds Lightning McQueen and Mater graphics to two pairs of adidas football cleats ready for the new high school, college, and NFL season. If we had to guess, the McQueen cleats will be seen on wideouts, DBs, and backs, while Mater’s pairs will be seen more often on the offensive and defensive lines.
The speedy McQueen cleats add Lightning’s red 95 car graphics to the Adizero Electric II cleats, with flames running up the side panels and a yellow and orange gradient on the Three Stripes logo. The Mater pair is a rust-orange Adizero Impact II Mid with teal accents and googly eyes on the fold-over tongue.
Cars x adidas Football Cleat Collection Release Details
The Cars x adidas Football Cleat Collection was released on September 6, 2026 via Dick’s Sporting Goods. We’re still waiting on word of a wider release, but with the NFL season just days away, it’s likely we’ll see the collab cleats drop again. Available in unisex sizing, the retail price is set at $130 for the Lightning McQueen pair and $110 for the Mater colorway. To keep up with all the latest Cars collab news and drop info, download the Sole Retriever App.
Cars x adidas Adizero Electric II Lightning McQueen
Cars x adidas Adizero Impact II Mid Mater
Zach Harris is a writer based in Philadelphia. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Vice, Complex, High Times, and more. He is obsessed with skateboarding and bowling. He is still looking for his first 300. For tips, reviews, and anything in size 10.5 - zach.h@soleretriever.com
