Sporty & Rich has reunited with adidas Originals for a new running-inspired capsule, led by a revived ADISTAR CONTROL 5 that looks as though it has sprinted out of 2008, stopped for an oat flat white, and emerged considerably better dressed.
A Running Capsule With Archive Swagger
There is something pleasingly specific about this collaboration. It is not trying to reinvent running, nor is it pretending that every wearer is about to go hammering through six miles before breakfast with heroic discipline and a troubling relationship with split times.
Instead, the latest Sporty & Rich x adidas Originals collection leans into the romance of running style: the clean lines, the technical touches, the slightly smug post-session wardrobe that works just as well outside a café as it does near a start line.
At the centre of it all is the ADISTAR CONTROL 5, an adidas silhouette first launched in 2008 and now given the Emily Oberg treatment. That means restraint, polish and enough athletic nostalgia to make early-’00s running tech feel oddly elegant again.
The ADISTAR CONTROL 5 Gets A Metallic Revival
The Sporty & Rich ADISTAR CONTROL 5 arrives in two colourways. One comes with a grey base, teal stripes and metallic accents. The other keeps things cleaner in white with black and teal detailing.
Both versions carry the familiar adidas Originals archive appeal, helped along by metallic overlays, co-branded sockliners, branded tongues and lace tips. It is retro running gear, yes, but without the creaky knees.
The beauty of the ADISTAR CONTROL 5 in this setting is that it has not been buffed into anonymity. It still looks like a runner. It still has that technical, slightly purposeful stance. But Sporty & Rich has softened the edges, giving it a more composed place in the modern athleisure wardrobe.
Emily Oberg’s Sporty & Rich Formula Still Works
Sporty & Rich has always understood the power of looking active without appearing overdressed for the activity itself. The Los Angeles label’s appeal sits somewhere between wellness club, vintage sportswear archive and the sort of off-duty wardrobe that suggests your supplements are alphabetised.
Under Emily Oberg, the brand has built a recognisable world: minimalist, athletic, nostalgic, health-conscious and just glossy enough to feel aspirational without tipping into absurdity.
This adidas Originals collection fits neatly into that universe. It takes the codes of running — stripes, windbreakers, biker shorts, technical trainers, waistbags — and reframes them through a cleaner lifestyle lens.
The Apparel Makes The Whole Thing Click
The clothing side of the capsule keeps the same rhythm. There is a matching bralette and biker shorts set with green heat-transferred stripes and a custom Sporty & Rich x adidas Originals running-inspired graphic.
A windbreaker brings in the breezy early-session mood, while an oversized cotton sweatshirt gives the collection its post-run ballast. It is the sort of piece that suggests recovery, even if the most strenuous thing you have done all morning is queue behind someone ordering matcha with the procedural intensity of a NASA launch.
The accessories finish the story neatly: a nylon waistbag and slouchy knit socks with embroidered logos. The message is clear enough: “Yes, I run. But I also have taste.”
Why This Adidas Originals Collaboration Has Legs
The timing feels right. Running culture has moved beyond performance alone and into a wider social and style space. Run clubs, city training groups, wellness-led wardrobes and archive trainers have all become part of the same conversation.
That gives this Sporty & Rich adidas Originals drop a natural audience. It is not only for collectors of adidas collaborations, nor solely for those already deep in the Sporty & Rich world. It speaks to anyone drawn to retro running style with a cleaner, more premium finish.
The ADISTAR CONTROL 5 provides the heritage. Sporty & Rich provides the styling restraint. Adidas Originals provides the archive credibility. Together, the collection lands in that useful space between sport and lifestyle, where the clothes do not need to prove too much because they already know exactly where they are going.
Where To Find The Collection
The latest adidas Originals and Sporty & Rich collection is now available, following its exclusive pre-launch on October 1st.
The full range can be found through the adidas CONFIRMED app, adidas.com, selected adidas and adidas Originals stores, premium retailers, and sportyandrich.com.
In a sportswear market crowded with shouty logos, fluorescent ambition and garments seemingly designed by committee after too much espresso, this collection keeps its pulse steady. A little metallic, a little nostalgic, and just polished enough to make the walk back from the coffee shop look like part of the training plan.
