Andrew Rizzo The fine folks over at West NYC have been crushing with their adidas collabs as of late, recently dropping a two-pair pack with their neighbors at Tip Top Shoes and a Gazelle Indoor inspired by the elusive New York subway wizard. For their next effort, the Upper West Side fixture is staying close to home with a rare Rod Laver release made to match the colors of Zabar’s; one of the city’s oldest and most iconic gourmet emporiums.
Some context behind the model at hand; the adidas Rod Laver originally released in 1970 as the signature shoe for its synonymous tennis star; the only man to win two Grand Slam trophies. It’s got an aesthetic comparable to the Stan Smith, which released a few years prior under a different name, but features a chunkier sole and ribbed mesh upper. West NYC is known to keep its creative ethos close to home, and the Rod Laver is a more than fitting canvas in that regard. The model transcended its court roots long ago, earning a notable name-drop in Madvillain’s “Meat Grinder” among other hip-hop tracks by New York artists. It was also a key part of the inspiration behind 50 Cent’s Reebok G-Unit G6 – simply a moment in time if you had boots on the ground in NYC in the 2000s.
As for the West NYC x adidas Rod Laver, it’s the creative campaign that sets the sneaker apart. The retailer checks in with a predominantly white colorway featuring compelling pops of orange, matching the colors of Zabar’s located just eight just blocks up Broadway. To the uninitiated; Zabar’s is best known for their nova smoked salmon and uses the fish’s bright pink/orange color in their branding. West NYC brought their Rod Laver up to Zabar’s for the campaign, snapping pics of employees styling the sneaker with their work uniforms.
The West NYC x adidas Rod Laver “Zabar’s” releases exclusively through West NYC (in-store and online) at 10:00 AM EST on August 23rd. You’re messing up big time if you cop in-store and don’t grab a Zabar’s sandwich on the way back… just saying.
