Whether you grew up in the 80s, 90s, or 00s, it's safe to say that you've heard of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Heroes in a half-shell first hit the sewers in 1984, courtesy of artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. Their one-shot comic turned into a series that would lead to live-action movies, multiple cartoon series, and more, becoming a cultural icon. One thing that has been absent from TMNT collectibles and memorabilia is collaborations with sneaker brands.
Sure, you can find officially licensed TMNT sneakers at department stores. But only a handful have been released by a major footwear brand (the Nike SB Dunk Mid Donatello doesn't count, unfortunately). Sean Lynch brought forth the first official TMNT sneakers, courtesy of Fila, in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Since then, nothing else has followed. Luckily for all the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans out there (including myself), adidas has stepped up and will be commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise in 2024 with a sneaker collaboration.
First up for this partnership is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x adidas Superstar Shelltoes edition. Taking design cues from the original 1984 comic book series, this pair of adidas Superstar Shelltoes comes in a green, red, and gum colorway. The upper is covered in a light green textured leather with dark green hits on the back heel tab, sockliner, and inside tongue lining. Red leather Three Stripes branding is on the sides, with the word Shelltoe in gold, replacing the traditional Superstar text.
Continuing, white laces help break up the green base, accented by white tongue tags. The adidas branding on the back heels also comes in white, seen in the original TMNT comic book font, for an extra touch. As we go down to the rubber shell-toe, we get an actual turtle shell graphic instead of the traditional design. All this sits atop a white midsole and a solid gum rubber outsole. But the details don't end there!
The custom red bandana lace dubraes represent the four turtles: Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael. They all donned red bandanas in the colored prints of the original comics (they didn't receive their colored bandanas until the 1987 cartoon series). The insoles sport co-branded graphics in a pizza-style theme, the turtles' favorite food. Underneath is a NYC city sewer manhole cover on the footbed, synonymous with the home of the quartet and the father, Master Splinter. Two extra sets of laces alongside an exclusive comic book come housed in special packaging reminiscent of action figures, which ties everything together.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x adidas Superstar Shelltoes will be released on March 22, 2024, through adidas, Confirmed, and select retailers online and in-store. Available in men's sizing, the retail price is set at $130. Keep it locked to the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x adidas Superstar Shelltoes
Images via adidas
Images via Complex
Steve Jaconetta is the Head of Content based out of Connecticut. An encyclopedia for sneaker releases, he's covered the industry for over fifteen years. His stops have included Sole Collector, Complex, and StockX, to name a few. He considers the Air Jordan 11 Concord the greatest sneaker of all time and has a strong affection for 80s pop culture. Email: steve@soleretriever.com
