Y-3 and adidas recently unveiled the visionary collaboration between the brand and Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto for Spring/Summer 2026.
Y-3, the visionary collaboration between adidas and Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto, continues to redefine the boundaries between sport and fashion. With a history of over two decades exploring contrasts and turning points, the brand is presenting a radical statement about the humanity inherent in sport for the Spring/Summer 2026 season – a visual discourse on movement, connection and metamorphosis.
The collection was presented at the Palais Brongniart during Paris Fashion Week, which was transformed for one evening into a transgressive performative space. In an extended format, the event was conceived as an immersive four-act experience dedicated to a deeper connection with the audience. The resulting collection brings powerful silhouettes to the forefront, defined by the unique Y-3 perspective. With sport as a fundamental principle, the line reinterprets the "Equipment" range from the ’90s – a return to athletic essentials, stripped of excess yet reconfigured as an unconventional form of luxury. The footwear in the collection consists of the RC6, Stan Smith and Field:
- RC6, the speed shoe tested for performance, receives a design with asymmetrical laces and raw finishes.
- Stan Smith, reinterpreted in the delicate form of a ballet flat, in harmony with the dance performance.
- Field, a nod to adidas’ football roots, is inspired by archival cleats reworked for everyday wear.
Under the guidance of choreographer and director Kiani del Valle, the KDV Performance Group told a story without words – a discourse of corporeality and expression, a journey through liminal states.
Y-3 Spring/Summer 2026 is a story about duality and transformation – a visual manifesto where sport, movement, and fashion merge into a pure form. It is Y-3 in its most direct and essential form: a radical expression of humanity in constant metamorphosis.
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Vlad Ciutacu is a writer based in The Hague, Netherlands. He has been working in the footwear industry for more than a decade, with hundreds of pairs in his collection. His favourite models are the Air Jordan 1 and the Nike SB Dunk Low Pro. Find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
