- Manchester metallic hardcore band Guilt Trip have partnered with Adidas on a co-branded, limited-edition Superstar II, featuring the band's branding on the iconic shell-toe silhouette with fat laces, dropping June 6, 2026.
- The shoe sits on a muted grey body with "Guilt Trip" on the outsole, an embossed "GT" on the heel, a custom tongue design, and branded aglets, no detail untouched.
- The sneaker launch arrives one day after the band drops Armour of Angels, their new album via Roadrunner Records.
- The collaboration marks a significant cultural moment for the band, whose 2026 live schedule includes a summer North American run with Dying Wish and a headlining set at Sound and Fury.
Manchester, UK crossover band Guilt Trip have partnered with Adidas for a limited-edition Superstar II, launching June 6, 2026, one day after their third album Armour of Angels drops via Roadrunner Records.
The muted grey shoe carries the band’s name on the outsole, an embossed “GT” heel, a custom tongue, and branded aglets.
This is the band’s first known major brand deal. Drummer Tom Aimson, explained the natural fit: Adidas is “ingrained in our culture” in the north of England (across music and football) and the Superstar’s presence on metal acts like Korn and Slipknot in the late ’90s was formative for the band.
Adidas has been investing heavily in music-driven storytelling around the Superstar in 2026. Samuel L. Jackson fronted the brand’s “Where Are My Superstars?” SS26 campaign built around the same silhouette, and Larry June linked up with the Three Stripes for a luxury Rod Laver collab earlier this spring.
The brand’s broader partnership roster has also included Bad Bunny, Pharrell Williams, and Kendall Jenner.
Guilt Trip are also confirmed for Sound and Fury this August and headline EU/UK dates starting October, with Judiciary and Justice for the Damned in tow. The album also features a guest spot from P.O.D.’s Sonny Sandoval on the track “Resurrected.”
Takeaways
This is one of those collaborations that actually earns the word “authentic.” Guilt Trip didn’t chase a brand deal, the brand came to them because the fit is real.
Adidas and heavy music have been quietly intertwined since the late ’90s, and a Manchester hardcore band with deep roots in UK street culture is as credible a choice as any.
This isn’t Adidas checking a box. It’s the brand doubling down on a pattern, using music-led artists to keep the Superstar culturally alive, whether that’s through Samuel L. Jackson’s cinematic campaigns or a limited-edition hardcore drop that sells out before most people know it exists.
Guilt Trip, for their part, are clearly stepping into a bigger arena. A Roadrunner album, a co-headline North American tour, festival slots on both sides of the Atlantic, and now an Adidas shoe, all in the same season. The underground is watching, and so is the mainstream.
Does an Adidas collab risk alienating hardcore fans who value underground credibility, or does it deepen Guilt Trip’s cultural reach? Is Adidas building a pattern of using heavy music artists to tap subcultural authenticity, and who’s next?
