Building on the design language of the NMD S1, and the original NMD before it, adidas Originals and Humanrace™ unveil the NMD S1 RYAT, a hiking-inspired boot stemming from Pharrell Williams’ renewed l
This isn’t an attempt at outdoor from adidas. The brand acquired Five Ten in 2011 and has collaborated with 1Climb while building their Terrex outdoor line. The S1 RYAT, like the S1 before it, is a return to a limited release strategy focused on establishing NMD as a sub-brand within adidas Originals. In 2017 I wrote this post:
adidas Originals NMD Apparel FW17 | Can the NMD Transition Into a “Brand”?
In that discussion I felt adidas could develop NMD as a brand. What happened less than a year later was an interesting change of events for the Three Stripes. As the company grew their direct-to-consumer strategy which increased revenue, at retail adidas tumbled completely in certain markets. The change from early 2017 to post Nike Investor’s Day 2017 was striking:
By 2018 I was writing articles about NMDs being sold for 69.99 buy one get one for 1 dollar at City Gear stores. The NMD which was a resale darling, showing how hot the model was, tumbled and became an arbitrage hustle. NMD was dead. In the years following the Three Stripes attempted to reignite interest with a return to the Japan NMD and various Olympic themed City Concepts, but it didn’t matter. The NMD was sitting and on sale at every retail outlet. The UltraBoost was also. Outside of Yeezy not even Pharrell could drive sell through on Hu models. The Pharrell Crazy BYW was marked down to 19.99 and Pharrell’s Tennis Hu was buy one get one for a 1 at City Gear, again.
adidas regained some traction with The Forum and classic basketball models, but since 2017 attempting to sell adidas in-line/general release products in resale was over, signaling that the hype around adidas had slowed considerably. In the last year this has changed. The S1 had sneaker culture buzzing. The distinctive, futuristic version of the NMD was contributing spikes in search as everyone tried to read about the new model. adidas was smart to limit distribution using Confirmed to deliver the model in small drops. The RYAT has recreated more interest and sold out immediately when it arrived on April 23rd.
The NMD S1 RYAT offers functional design, made from durable materials, in which every element and detail serves a purpose. The shoe’s upper is constructed from a mix of premium suede and leather overlays, while a rubberized TPU mudguard and toecap add to the shoe’s sense of utility. The design is completed with a Boost midsole for ultimate underfoot cushioning and a rugged outsole featuring Trefoil-shaped grip.
There is some familiarity with the design. The Converse Motion Hike Platform comes to mind upon first glance, but those thoughts subside as the modern design element of the blocks from the NMD R1 pop in bright yellow and sky blue hues. The premium construction and winter ready look will carry over into the spring as more people hit the urban hiking trails in their cities. Well, they would carry over, but The Trefoil realizes the mistake it made in 2017. You’re going to have to work to cop a pair or hit the third party sites. Which sucks, but is completely understandable. No need to rush the RYAT, although a riot will most certainly happen if the noise gets any louder around the S1.