From sportscars to sportswear: Adidas by Porsche Design
Porsche takes a decidedly conservative route in restyling its cars – it takes a trained eye to tell one generation 911 from the next. That's left Porsche designers with a little extra time on their hands, so after designing a line of clothing and accessories for Martini, they've teamed up with Adidas for a line of sportswear. The product of the partnership between the two German companies is Porsche Design Sport.
Their first collection consists of four ranges, each catered toward a different type of activity: driving, golf, running and tennis. Driving makes sense. Meanwhile, judging by the parking lot at the local country club, lots of Porsche drivers probably play golf. And the rest surely play tennis. The running is beyond us, though. (You'd figure they'd have a Soccer-Mom line for Cayenne drivers, too.)
[Source: Adidas]As a sports equipment automotive news blog, naturally what interests us (and by extension, you) the most is the line of driving gear. It includes driving shoes (which Porsche claims were tested by factory test drivers), a cashmere-blend honeycomb-pattern zip sweater, stretch khakis with a handy cargo pocket, the requisite white polo and a handy weekend duffel. The golf collection, meanwhile, actually includes clubs (co-branded with TaylorMade, a subsidiary of Adidas), the tennis collection includes a racquet and, naturally, the running collection includes running shoes.
This isn't the first such partnership between an automotive design house and a sportswear/shoe company: Pininfarina similarly teamed up with Fila for some unique shoes a few years back. Adidas meanwhile previously teamed up with Goodyear, who provided the rubber souls for a special line of shoes. It is by far the most complete, though: Porsche and Adidas have teamed up to produce some nice gear that would likely make a welcome addition to anyone's wardrobe, whether you're into the occasional tennis match, nine holes of golf, jog around the neighborhood or Sunday drive. Their first collection, Spring/Summer 2007, was just released last month in the United States and in other select markets.
PRESS RELEASE
Herzogenaurach/Bietigheim-Bissingen - May 31, 2006
Spring/Summer 2007 Porsche Design Sport Collection
In Spring/Summer 2007 Porsche Design and adidas introduce an innovative hi-tech sport and design orientated sport performance collection for men. The objective of the long-term cooperation is to jointly establish a hi-tech premium brand in the sports sector. The first Porsche Design Sport product line highlights four sport categories: Driving, Running, Golf and Tennis. Sophisticated footwear, apparel, accessories and hardware embody the fusion of high-functionality, uncompromising engineering quality and striking design. Representing the long-term partnership of the two brands, the range is recognizable by the Porsche Design and adidas or TaylorMade co-branding.
Paying tribute to the unique fusion of design and sport performance, the complete collection is characteristic by luxury, yet fully functional materials and proven high-class technologies. Prestigious fabrics such as jacquard, lycra, microfiber and cashmere enable extra soft touch, stability of shape and long lasting wind and water resistance. To meet comfort for the specific sport activities, technologies like Coolmax®, 3XDRY® and c-change® offer moisture management at its highest levels ensuring an optimum body climate. In addition the adidas technology Formotion™ provides enhanced freedom of movement and performance.
Key footwear styles of the Spring/Summer 2007 collection include the exclusive nubuk leather Driving Shoe that meets the needs of the ambitious driver. The asymmetrical design of the outsole ensures a perfect grip and feeling. A specific heel construction promises best comfort and protection during the ride. Fully sports functional through the Formotion™ technology, the Running Shoe features a rich full grain leather upper with specific ventilation perforation.
Apparel highlight styles include the Convertible Rain Jacket that can be transformed to a vest and the Rain Pant 2nd Layer. Featuring the c-change® technology both pieces assure an optimum body climate and protection against wind and rain.
The Golf Putter and Tennis Racket symbolize the key hardware items of the Spring/Summer 2007 line. The putter enhances the game of ambitious golfers by using the latest material, fitting know how and a new movable weight technology that enables flight path variations by changeable weights within the head of the club. The construction and modern design of the full carbon racket provides the ideal combination of power, control and comfort.
The color palette of the first Porsche Design Sport collection constitutes of black, white, metallic grey titan, red and blue – alone or mixed together in elegant combinations.
The Porsche Design Sport collection will hit retail exclusively in December 2006. At this time the collection will be available in adidas Sport Performance concept stores and Porsche Design stores worldwide. By January 15, 2007 the range can be purchased in high-end stores in six selected markets: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, UK, US and Asia.
***
The adidas Group is one of the global leaders in the sporting goods industry offering a wide range of products around the three core segments adidas, Reebok and TaylorMade-adidas Golf. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, the Group has approximately 25,000 employees worldwide and generates sales of about € 9.5 billion.
Porsche Design is a global luxury men's brand and is determined by engineered products. Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche established the Porsche Design brand in 1972, whose products are attracting consumers with their technical innovation and represent functionality and timelessness in its purest form. Porsche Design products are sold in exclusive own retail and franchise stores, shop-in-shops in up-market department stores and exclusive specialist stores.












Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
TVs Hasselhoff 11:23AM (2/14/2007)
And Porchefiles worry that the Cayenne will dilute the brand? At least with Martini there is a racing heritage to promote.
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tikirob 11:31AM (2/14/2007)
I bought the Ford designed shoe, it's not bad. The interior is a bit cheap and does not provide as much support and it is no where near as fast as the Porsche. The exterior is nice but not very exciting. There not bad but I have to keep taking them in for repairs.
It just a shoe!
Rob
htpp://www.autoshortlist.com
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M. 12:16PM (2/14/2007)
"Porsche Design" once was a company of it's own, and as this it is still recognized here in Europe -- though it is now tighty integrated into Porsche. I have an external hard disk by Porsche design, some friends have a Porsche design water kettle. There are even toasters. Since they are usually well thought and expensive no one worries about weakening the car brand.
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Tim UF 11:41AM (2/14/2007)
At least Adidas is a german brand. They also make goodyear branded "motorsport" shoes.
Fila used to make ferrari branded shoes, theres also ferrari branded laptops, and a phone i believe. Those dont seem to do much to dilute the ferrari brand.
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Vega 12:48PM (2/14/2007)
It's Porsche Design, not Porsche. It's a designing company founded by Ferdinand Alexander "Butzi" Porsche in the 70s (who designed the first 911) and is NOT part of Porsche AG (the car company). Over the years Porsche Design has produced hundreds of different consumer product and fashion designs.
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rwdmtparkingonly 12:18PM (2/14/2007)
Porsche actually designs the "Porsche Design" products, and it labels them "Porsche Design", instead of putting the Crest on them. I didn't see their crest anywhere on these clothes, and it's not on this hard drive: http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?pid=10384
That is a huge difference between them and the Italians (Ferrari and Lamborghini (although it looks like the latter will eventually be a Porsche subsidiary)), who will co-brand with any cheap Chinese crap producing company that pays up.
Still, as the author indirectly points out, there is one cheap crappy thing that Porsche did not design but still puts its crest on, and that is the Cayenne.
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TVs Hasselhoff 1:31PM (2/14/2007)
I stand corrected. Separate entity.
Still, the response was meant to have some "tongue-in-cheek" in it.
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Robert112 6:05PM (2/14/2007)
#5, It says "Designed By F.A. Porsche" on the right side near the back of the HDD. BTW, pictures don't do those drives justice.. it really looks awesome when you see it with your own eyes.
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Frank Camalo 4:11PM (2/23/2007)
And I thought the Beatles produced Rubber Soul.
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Jay Forte 5:08PM (2/23/2007)
Ive seen Porsche mountain bikes and golf clubs, so why not make a shoe? I just hope they have the Porsche emblem on the toe of the shoe and a Carrera designation on the heel.
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Steve Cruse 7:07PM (2/23/2007)
I wonder who designed the goofy remote control for the doors and both trunks of the Cayman S. If you keep it in your pocket you will open the trunks without trying several times a day.
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