Adidas Y-3 by Yohji Yamamoto: Designer Sneakers

By Kai Youngblood

The Adidas Y-3 brand takes designer sneakers into very flashy territory. Adidas is no stranger to collaborations, but this match up soars to new heights of design. The "Y" stands famed Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto. Acclaimed for his avant-garde design and dramatic silhouettes, he lends his wild creativity to the Adidas Y-3 sneakers and sportswear brand. The "3" represents the famous 3 stripes of the Adidas logo, stripes which are also seen on the sides of their sneakers.

Y-3 was born in 2004. It gained a following unmatched by other Adidas collaborations, resulting in the launch of its own standalone stores beyond the normal Adidas shops. Possessing their own boutiques is a fitting move, since Y-3 sneakers are clearly in an echelon of their own. The first Y-3 store launched in Tokyo, followed by shops in Paris, Beijing, Miami, Manchester, then New York's Meatpacking District and Soho neighborhood. Today 37 Y-3 shops stand in cities across the world from Singapore to Dubai.