The adidas P.O.D. System conquers London

On June 13th at the adidas Originals headquarter in London the new silhuette and technology P.O.D. was globally launched: a series of events were held, bringing together the global sneaker community. The P.O.D. system is inspired by the iconic "Point of Deflection System", technology created by adidas in the 1990s. Designed with a podular sole, the silhouette presents a new equipment built to create natural movement, flexibility and comfort.

Drawing from the past to reimagine the future.

To celebrate the launch, a group of global creators including Victor Ma, Cali Thornhill DeWitt, DJ Clark Kent and others were invited to spend the day at P.O.D.S. Maker Lab in the London neighborhood of Shoreditch. Led by Brooklyn Farm and adidas Originals' designer team, guests had the opportunity to experience the adidas Originals design process first hand. Hosted by senior design vice president Nic Galway, product manager Morgan Boeri and design director Remy Eyraud, guests were inspired to create unique interpretations of the P.O.D. system.

The participants were encouraged to mix and match P.O.D. components with classic and original components, using different machines with laser engraving and hot printing, a custom chain that added a touch of craftsmanship. The designers of adidas Originals, personalizers, local producers and students supported our creatives throughout the workshop and helped them create a unique shoe.

Throughout the day, Pharrell Williams joined the Maker Lab guests, offering suggestions and inspiration.

Moving from day to night, the live performances of Migos, with a special set for guests with Pharrell Williams, Suspect OTB and DJ Benji B, were the celebration of the creative spirit of adidas Originals: the promotion of art, music, style and culture through design and collaboration.

Finally we had the honor to ask a few questions to Morgan Boeri, adidas Originals VP of Product, and to Remy Eyraud, adidas Originals Senior Designer, about the design of the sneaker! Discover what they said!

#1 The adidas ultra boost and NMD are among the most comfortable adidas silhouettes of all time. Why did you decide to use a split material construction and where did you split such a comfortable sole?

Remy:

In terms of design, with regards to NMD, we wanted to create a new franchise, a franchise that responded to the consumer, using two different parts, our best technologies for the impact on the ground. The sneaker is created thinking about the needs of the consumer in terms of comfort.

Morgan: 

We also wanted to draw inspiration from a 90s silhouette, which combined three different components, and for this reason we wanted to combine three different elements for its composition to remain faithful to the same philosophy! We also wanted to achieve something different! We have different Boost sneakers, so we really meant to create a new visual! When you see people wearing NMD or Ultra Boost, you'll notice a single block of Boost, while with this new silhouette it's different! Always try something different!

#2 When you design something new like the P.O.D. System, dealing with design and technology, what is more important, intuition or tests and mistakes? 

Remy:

We started thinking about how to create the silhouette, and we were in more than 10 designers, each one had his emotions, his creativity, his own feeling, and this is a very important thing, precisely because it creates diversity! That's how you create a unique creativity!

POD System will be available worldwide on June 16th at the adidas Originals headquarters and on adidas.com.