They’re toeing the line between trendy and tacky.
Avant-grade fashion brand AVAVAV, in collaboration with the sportswear giant Adidas, has come in for a drubbing following the release of its latest collection — featuring the athletic label’s Superstar sneakers with a twist.
The $250 kicks, which debuted at Milan Fashion Week as part of AVAVAV’s 2025 collection, are adorned with detachable rubber toes — called “Superfingers” — that mimic the decidedly uncool barefoot shoes made for running.
The “added appendage,” according to Adidas, is a nod to AVAVAV’s “four finger motif,” which can be seen in the brand’s logo and referenced in their gloves, hats and boots — similar to that of Maison Margiela’s Tabi shoes.
The bizarre drop has left fans divided. Some hail the look as “dope,” while others slammed the brands on social media for the outlandish design, which they called “cursed,” “ugly” and alien-like.
“What’s wrong with making regular s–t,” one disgruntled follower wrote under an Instagram post from Adidas.
“If you call this fashion, you need some therapy,” another snarked.
“Wow Adidas sucks now,” someone else commented. “I remember when y’all made cool stuff.”
But AVAVAV’s creative director Beate Karlsson called the collaboration a “long-time dream” of hers — although she doesn’t take it too seriously.
“From the beginning of our partnership, I was encouraged to ‘make fun’ of Adidas,” she said, per Hypebae.
“There’s so much irony in how seriously we take sports and fashion; exploring that while maintaining a serious attitude has been incredibly fun.”
Despite the controversy, the market appears to have spoken — some sizes are already sold out online.
AVAVAV is known for its experimental approach to street style, with past presentations leaning into theatrics by encouraging the audience to throw trash at models.
In recent years, models have purposefully fallen on the runway or sprinted down the catwalk.
