Are your sneaker senses tingling? With the Miles Morales Ultra 4D Mid Evolved shoe dropping today, we're sure they are. Thought up while creating Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 video game for the PlayStation®5 console, adidas, Marvel, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and Insomniac Games came together to create the digital and physical manifestation of the Miles Morales sneaker.
"The Miles Morales Ultra 4D Mid Evolved shoe is a love letter to Miles and to all the things people love and find unique about him," said Charlie Kirihara, a Color and Materials Designer at adidas. "We poured all of that into this shoe."
The shoe was created to coincide with Miles's black, red, and blue Evolved suit in the game, which Miles receives after self-reflection and discovery in the final level. The Ultra 4D Mid Evolved sneaker showcases the creativity and community formed when gaming and fashion link up.
"We can imagine Miles, a teenager living in New York City, wanting a cool high-tech pair of shoes like the Ultra 4D Mid Evolved shoe," said Jacinda Chew, a Senior Art Director at Insomniac Games. "As our rendering technology continually advances, we can bring these real-life products into our games with startling accuracy and pave the way for future collaborations between gaming and fashion."
Continuing to bridge the gap between these two worlds, adidas also created a line of apparel to tie into Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 game.
"We designed a hoodie and tech-fit pieces for this collection," explained Jasmine Zamora, an adidas designer. "The hoodie serves as a collector's statement piece, featuring reflective webs and symbiote accents to capture the essence of it taking over Spider-Man. The tech-fit suit lets consumers wear the full Miles Morales look. We've also included a subtle nod to Miles' origin with a small spider symbol on the wrist, symbolizing his first spider bite.”
The Making of the Ultra 4D Mid Evolved
While it's part of the Peter Parker Advanced Suit and Venom collection, the adidas Miles Morales Ultra 4D Mid Evolved sneaker has a personality of its own. Designed in close collaboration between the creative minds at adidas and Marvel, this sneaker empowers wearers to channel the dynamic and charismatic spirit of Miles Morales as they move around the city.
These shoes were built on a cutting-edge adidas 4D midsole, crafted using the most innovative printing process to date. They have the look of speed, the feel of comfort and the energy and swagger of Miles Morales. From the web-like lattice pattern on the cyan blue midsole to the cleverly hidden easter eggs within the shoe's upper it's evident that Miles Morales and his inspiring story served as the cornerstone and driving force behind the creation of this sneaker.
THE SHOE DESIGN PROCESS
Charlie Kirihara | adidas Color and Materials designer
“Detailing was key with this shoe. We have a white base pairing with the in-game suit to stand out and feel a bit different. We put the embroidered web pattern on the shoe too. The embroidery is subtle but feels really valuable. Miles also has electric powers, so we made the electric shock graphic in the upper reflective, so it lights up when it’s dark out.”
Eric Monacelli | Senior Director, Product and Franchise Development, Marvel Games
“Miles is all about new tech. I was delighted when we could not only use the 4D tech for Miles’s sneaker but have it as a key feature in this newer mid-silhouette that adidas was making. Our Spider-Men are always thinking on the cutting edge of science so using a material that’s not only fresh for fashion but also aesthetically looks like spider-webbing was a no-brainer for the Ultra 4D Mid Evolved design.”
Tommy Lubinski | adidas Senior Product Manager
“We really embraced specificity when making this sneaker. We have “Spider #42” on the back of the tongue webbing, which is the spider that bites Miles and gives him his powers. There’s also a key chain hang tag on each shoe to show people they are buying something special and limited.”
Joshua Singh | Art Director, Marvel Games
“There are so many iconic elements that make up Miles Morales. Deep thought was taken in all his costume designs as well as how his unique Spider powers are visualized. When creating the Ultra 4D Mid Evolved shoe, I really appreciated adidas’s eye for detail and how they took not only Miles’s costume design, but also his power set into consideration. I have to say that my favorite part of the shoe is that blue midsole. Having the 4D midsole being evocative of spider webs is so cool and makes the shoe as unique as Miles Morales.”
ON THE COLLAB ACROSS TEAMS
Jacinda Chew | Senior Art Director, Insomniac Games
“We worked with Marvel on Miles’s Evolved Suit and shared the design with adidas and asked them to design a shoe to match. adidas suggested that we go with the Ultra 4D shoe with its 3D-printed midsole. Not only does it echo Spider-Man’s webs, but it also uses 3D printing, which fuses art and technology like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 game. Everyone brought their expertise to this collaboration and created an incredible shoe that is true to Miles Morales’s character.”
Bill Rosemann | VP & Creative Director, Marvel Games
“Part of what we all love about Marvel is the idea that what you choose to wear on the outside can crystallize and express the authentic version of yourself that’s waiting to be released from within. Our amazing friends at adidas not only get this, but also enjoy teaming up and dreaming with us to create footwear that in a very real way can empower all of us to unleash our inner hero to show the world that we can all be greater, especially when we work together.”
THE DROP
The adidas Ultra 4D Mid Evolved Shoe and apparel inspired by Miles Morales will be available on the adidas app and online starting, November 3rd.