Celebrity Name: Larry June
Brand Name: Adidas Originals
Deal Type: Sneaker Collaboration
Silhouette: Rod Laver
Announced: March 2026
Impact: Strengthens adidas’ presence in hip-hop lifestyle while elevating Larry June as a fashion-forward tastemaker in the tennis-inspired sneaker space
- San Francisco rapper Larry June has teased a new collaborative sneaker with Adidas built on the iconic Rod Laver tennis silhouette, first introduced in the 1970s.
- The shoe features premium ostrich-skin leather on the toecap and reptile-textured side panels, with turquoise inner lining and teal-and-orange collar accents, a step into luxury heritage territory.
- This release builds on Larry June’s growing relationship with the Three Stripes, following the buzz generated by his friends-and-family Adistar Control 5 that dropped around Super Bowl LIX in San Francisco.
San Francisco rapper Larry June is deepening his partnership with Adidas Originals, and this time he’s stepping onto the tennis court.
After generating major buzz with his friends-and-family Adistar Control 5 during Super Bowl week in The Bay, Larry has now revealed a collaborative take on one of Adidas’ most classic silhouettes: the Rod Laver.
Originally introduced in the 1970s and named after Australian tennis legend Rod Laver, the silhouette has long served as a minimalist staple within the Three Stripes catalog.
Larry June’s version, however, dials up the luxury. The colorway mixes animal skin prints in light blue, placing ostrich print on the toecap and reptile skin on the side panels and tongue.
The tongue features a distinctive Larry June graphic label built around bold geometric shapes, immediately setting this pair apart from standard Rod Laver releases. White laces and a clean sole unit keep the palette balanced, while colorful interior details and branding elements provide contrast.
This release moves away from high-performance runners into luxury tennis heritage territory, a sophisticated pivot that contrasts sharply with the vibrant citrus-inspired gradients of the previous Adistar Control 5.
This shift also reflects what’s happening across the sneaker industry more broadly. Just as Bad Bunny partnered with Adidas on the Badbo 1.0 and SZA starred in Vans’ Off The Wall spring campaign, major brands are leaning into authentic artist relationships to move product, and Larry June is proving he belongs in that conversation.
Takeaways
Larry June quietly becoming a sneaker figure is one of the more interesting moves in hip-hop right now. He didn’t force it, Adidas came to him because his vibe is the brand. Organic, West Coast, premium-but-not-loud.
The Rod Laver collab proves he’s not just a one-shoe wonder either. Moving from a performance runner to a vintage tennis classic shows real range and taste evolution, and it positions him alongside the likes of Bad Bunny and Pharrell in terms of how seriously Adidas is investing in musician-led storytelling.
The fact that his first collab circulated as a limited friends-and-family drop, and still went viral, says everything. Adidas knows what they have. The big question now is whether the Rod Laver gets a full public rollout or stays exclusive.
Does Larry June’s West Coast lifestyle brand translate globally, or is he a regional force Adidas is testing for bigger plays?
