KORN X ADIDAS COLLECTION

Sneakers_

23 October 2023

Words by our resident ‘freak on a leash’ @kevatownend

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hey! I’m Keva, I’m 27 and currently the Digital Marketing Executive here at OFFSPRING. I hail from Brighton (Go Seagulls) and currently reside in East London. I’m an avid taxidermist, vintage t-shirt collector, and die-hard metal fan. Are you ready?

We hear you’re a Korn fan, how and when did this happen?

For sure! I must have been about 13/14 when I first listened to them. My friends and I would often hang out, drinking energy drinks and listening to the Kerrang music channel in true emo style. I remember seeing ‘Freak on a Leash’ for the first time and being fully put in a trance-like state. I just remember being so captivated, and ever since then, I’ve been hooked.

I would also do clothes swaps as a teenager with mates because we were skint, and that's where I got my prized vintage Korn ‘Issues’ t-shirt, which I’ve had for about 15 years now. It has a fair few holes in it, but I can't bring myself to throw it away. I can’t confirm or deny if I’ve had to fight people off for this t-shirt.

The collaboration between adidas and Korn has been a long time coming, as it nods to Korn’s early days wearing adidas clothing and sneakers such as the tracksuits and Superstars. What iconic look did Korn have wearing the adidas brand?

Korn still has such a strong presence in the metal world, so better late than never, I say. It's an interesting one; I know that adidas provided the band with free clothing. Even though a brand sponsorship deal was never signed, adidas tracksuits were still the unofficial uniform for fans.

I personally love watching videos of all their live performances. They’re so gripping to see a sea of people and waves of fans thrashing around. My favourite is definitely from Woodstock 99.

“Was about breaking the mould, man... it was about going against everything that metal was supposed to be”.

Jonathan Davis on why the band established their style wearing adidas

What’s your thoughts on the upcoming Campus 00s and Supermodified collaboration? Does it feel like a natural fit?

Absolutely. On their second album ‘Life is Peachy’, Davis wrote the fan favourite ‘A.D.I.D.A.S’ – a play on the brand and an acronym for the statement ‘All Day I Dream About Sex,’ so it is a very natural fit.

Nu-metal fashion often adopted aspects of skater fashion, with chunky trainers, baggy JNCO jeans and shorts, and added harder elements like chains. The Campus 00s fits this description perfectly. It features black suede uppers, classic three stripes, and a gum sole. On the other hand, the Supermodified is a modern take on Jonathan Davis’s choice of wearing the classic Superstar. It is the opposite of the Campus, with white leather uppers and a rubber outsole.

I love the subtle details on the tongue and branding on the shoelace caps. I also adore the insoles with the ‘Life is Peachy’ album artwork. Even the shoe box fits so well, all the way down to the guitar pick tag. The devil is definitely in the details with these pairs.

As a metal enthusiast, are there any other artists or bands you would love to see work with adidas on a future collaboration?

100% Slipknot and Limp Bizkit, I just think it would go so well with this Nu-Metal resurgence we're seeing with some of the adidas packs like the ‘Ynuk’ pack. I think Cannibal Corpse would also be a sick collab too, their album artwork is always so gnarly and gory. I’d love to see that on a shoe.