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Adidas Unveils Pokémon 30th Anniversary Sneakers for 2026

8/3/2026

Summary

adidas Debuts Pokémon

adidas will debut its Pokémon × adidas 30th Anniversary sneakers in September 2026.
The line offers shoes across Superstars, Control 5, Sambas, Handball and XLG 2.0, priced $110–$180.
Mewtwo and Rayquaza appear on models, with Mewtwo on ZX 8000, Samba and Handball and Rayquaza on an Adistar Control 5 and an F50 Tunit Mega.
Pikachu appears on three Superstars.
Charmander, Charmeleon and Charizard each receive Superstars; Charmeleon and Charizard use snakeskin leather uppers without graphics.

Summary

Pokémon Breaks Records

Sale of the sole PSA-graded 10 Pikachu Illustrator card for £12 million earlier this year underscores Pokémon’s high-value collectibles.
Mairead Ralph attended the Shoreditch pop-up celebrating Pokémon Go’s 10th anniversary, where crowds chased exclusive Pokémon on their phones.
She has traveled to Japan, the United States and France for Pokémon events, showing worldwide fan appeal.
Guinness World Records lists Pokémon’s revenue at $147 billion (£110 billion), confirming it as the world’s biggest media franchise.

History

Historical Context

The franchise began when Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures launched Pokémon Red and Green in Japan in 1996. Success led the three firms to form The Pokémon Company in 1998, and by 1999 the brand had sold 35 million trading-card packs worldwide. That early boom underpins today’s adidas-Pokémon sneaker drop and the £12 million Pikachu Illustrator auction, showing licensed products now drive multibillion-dollar revenue.

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adidas Debuts Pokémon

adidas will debut its Pokémon × adidas 30th Anniversary sneakers in September 2026.
The line offers shoes across Superstars, Control 5, Sambas, Handball and XLG 2.0, priced $110–$180.
Mewtwo and Rayquaza appear on models, with Mewtwo on ZX 8000, Samba and Handball and Rayquaza on an Adistar Control 5 and an F50 Tunit Mega.
Pikachu appears on three Superstars.
Charmander, Charmeleon and Charizard each receive Superstars; Charmeleon and Charizard use snakeskin leather uppers without graphics.

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