Stan Smith x Brain Dead – Clear Brown/Bahia Light Blue-Mesa

LA-based design, art, music—pretty much everything—collective Brain Dead team with adidas to bring their signature low-brow aesthetic to one of the most iconic tennis shoes of all time.

The Stan Smith is a classic silhouette which provides the perfect blank canvas for the Brain Dead team to work their magic. Although previous projects have been notable for their out-of-this-world treatment, the relative restraint on this Stan is appreciated. The uppers are finished in a supple leather with slight shrunken texture, contrasted by a super hairy suede heel cap which pairs nicely with the fluff of the distressed laces.

Hidden under the semi-detached heel accent is a zig-zag stitch, reminiscent of the Brain Dead logo. How do we know that? Because it’s punched into the side of the shoe, replacing the barely-there perforated three stripes of the OG Stan Smith.