adidas | Larry June

Larry June and adidas made the adistar Control 5 in a Watermelon Smoothie colorway. Larry built a career on fresh juice and good habits so the launch became a market. Larry's California produce world is not a theme put on him. Every choice answered one question: does this feel like his stand, or adidas renting his name.

Our Meet and Greet post went up and the line started filling the day before at 1pm. Signs lead you in through the back lot, loud like a grocery circular: starbursts, barcodes, red and green.

Buy a pair of the Watermelon Smoothies and a branded clear tumbler comes with it. At the sticker station, you cover the cup in fruit stickers stamped with Larry's ad-libs. A local vendor fills it with a watermelon smoothie, the drink the shoe is named after. Cup in hand, you head into the main room, where Larry's DJ, DVME, spins off a booth wrapped in the same fruit labels. Then you reach Larry, standing in front of a custom fruit stand stacked with real watermelon, oranges, and pineapple. You get a polaroid with him. It goes home with you.

The first 10 buyers also walked out with a signed copy of Who Coppin'. By the time Larry left, the shoe was sold out. Complex Sneakers posted him pulling up. adidas posted it too. Every comment said some version of the same thing: good job, Larry.