Katakana and Three Stripes

Katakana has an angular geometry that sits on fabric the way Roman type rarely does. The characters read as both decoration and meaning simultaneously—even if you can’t parse what they say, they carry weight. Applied to sportswear, something interesting happens: the Western silhouette absorbs the Eastern script without either side losing itself.

For this collaboration with Tokyo retailer and label United Arrows & Sons, adidas Originals brought in MIKITYPE—a calligrapher and type designer working in the syllabic katakana script—to handle the graphic language. The text reads "United Arrows & Sons" and "adidas Originals": factual information rendered into aesthetic object. Tracksuits in two colorways, full-zip top and tapered pant, the kind of silhouette that works in Tokyo in a way it doesn’t quite anywhere else.

The NMD_CS1 carries the collaboration too—MIKITYPE elements on the inner lining, heel, and front EVA plug. Black Primeknit upper, Boost midsole. It’s a solid shoe on its own terms; the added design layer gives it something to say beyond technical specification.

Adidas has been consistently good at these Japanese partnerships—the long line of Consortium work with stores like Kasina and Mita Sneakers, and now United Arrows & Sons, produces results with an actual point of view. The clothing absorbs the design language of Japanese streetwear rather than just licensing a logo onto it. That distinction matters more than it should have to.