adidas x Messi Kids ZNE T-Shirt

Semi Blue Burst/Semi Solar Yellow

Responsible for some of the most popular designs in the history of sportswear, adidas performance clothing combines technical excellence with insightful concepts and aesthetics. In short, they take an idea for how a piece of apparel could benefit an athlete, then relentlessly develop it until they produce clothing worthy of the 3-Stripes.

That’s how we got the likes of the ZNE range, where adidas use their most advanced tech to help athletes focus. Then there’s ever-reliable Tiro teamwear, which has been leading the way for comfort and performance for decades, kitting out squads around the world. For compression, check out the Techfit baselayer range, which sits close to the skin to offer fast drying and straightforward support during any kind of dynamic action.

As always with adidas, though, there’s history behind all their modern innovations. The roots for today’s performance apparel can be traced back to Adi Dassler himself and the creation of the first nylon-blend tracksuits in the 1960s. Seeing the potential of the new, highly breathable material, Adi enlisted a prominent German textile manufacturer to produce tops and bottoms featuring his famous three stripes down the sides. Franz Beckenbauer endorsed one of those early designs, and the next thing you knew, the entire West Germany national team were warming up in them. Even back then, the bottoms boasted functional additions such as heel loops to secure the fit and ankle zips for easy on and off over footwear – adidas know athletes, and they know the details that count.