A Conversation With... James Thompson about the adidas Deerupt

Ahead of the German sportswear giant's latest franchise launch END. sat down with senior adidas designer James Thompson. An integral component in the team responsible for Deerupt, James delved deep into Deerupt, lifting the lid on the concept and the archival reference points which inspired the sneaker.

Undeniably adidas, the Deerupt is disruptive through the simplicity of the grid. Born from the courage to disrupt the adidas design DNA, the new sneaker celebrates a return to bold colour, radical comfort, and unprecedented silhouette. As the world seeks streamlined experiences, fashions, and trends, simplicity arrives in its most disruptive form with the Deerupt.

Be sure to catch up with END.'s coverage of adidas explosive Deerupt launch event in Paris, including an exclusive mixtape.

END.: Before we get into the Deerupt, can you tell us a little bit about the overall process of designing a new silhouette at adidas? Where do you begin?

James: Our starting point is invariably the archive. It's a hugely informative resource which always provides the tools to create our new silhouettes. References aren’t always literal takedowns from specific shoes, but we get inspired by the abundance of innovative technologies from past designs and try to reimagine them for a modern consumer.

END.: What was the initial concept for Deerupt?

James: The idea behind the concept comes from the rich heritage of midsole net technology from our archive. Iconic styles from the past such as the New York runner and the Marathon trainer featured the net. The idea then was to encapsulate EVA to add stability and generate a ‘trampoline effect’ to propel runners forward. The graphical quality created by this technology was extremely appealing to our design team. This is what we wanted to showcase - the simple qualities to create a new daringly simple approach to sneaker design.

END.: Do you find that the concepts develop over time and the endpoint is often a notable departure from the initial intention, or do you remain single-mindedly focused on the outcome throughout?

James: There are risks involved in remaining resolute when it comes to initial concept generation. The first ideas can heavily inspire the outcome, but they rarely remain exactly as was initially intended. This is often down to the collaborative creative atmosphere we are fortunate to work in which allows us to grow concepts together as a collective. This openness to share and inform often strengthens our output and pushes the boundaries season after season.

END.: What about beyond the design, what else comes into the mix to make sure the sneaker resonates with the adidas audience?

James: We are heavily inspired by cultural moments and by those who are at the forefront of creativity in other fields. We challenge ourselves to become immersed in these worlds to see how they inform us and our output. We are also mindful that we need to remain engaged with our core fanbase to understand their expectations and allow them to evolve with us.

END.: You’ve been working at adidas for nearly a decade, what have been some of your favourite projects to work on and how did working on Deerupt compare?

James: Some of my favourites haven’t necessarily been the most high profile projects, but the occasions when I have been able to work on iterations of some of our classic icons such as Stan Smith and Superstar. It’s always an honour to contribute something to their ever-enduring legacy and enhance them for audiences new and old. In the case of Deerupt, it was a pleasure to elevate a niche midsole technology to become a celebrated focal point of our newest sneaker.

END.: What is your favourite component of the Deerupt, and why?

James: Undoubtedly it’s the net structure and its bold visual identity. It's strikingly simple and completely wearable whilst also being technically complex in an understandable way.

END.: adidas is built upon a spirit of innovating for excellence, how do you approach the research and design process when designing or selecting new tech/tooling for footwear?

James: In many instances, new midsole technology is trialled and brought to fruition via our Futures team, they generate the general parameters and then as the Originals design team it is down to us to evolve and re-package these technologies for a lifestyle approach.

END.: What matters more; aesthetic or specification?

James: The two are intrinsic to one another. At adidas we have a history of striking aesthetic qualities combined with strong technological advancements and with that in mind we continue to apply both to produce the most successful products that we can.

END.: What do you think the future of sneaker design looks like?

James: Sneaker design will evolve at a faster rate than ever. Due to the speed at which new technology develops, current advancements such as 4D Carbon will allow us to generate forms which were never once achievable and this is likely to push the parameters of what we currently consider to be successful design formulas.

END.: How important are trends in your design process?

James: At adidas we pride ourselves on being part of culture, but of course, we cannot possibly work in isolation and have to be aware of the greater design world and the rich qualities that can inform us. When global trends such as the nineties revival occur we can offer a compelling narrative due to the strength of our archive from that period.

END.: What does the future hold for the Deerupt?

James: We will continue to develop Deerupt’s identity for the near future through the lens of our daringly simple approach; bold colour blocking and strong graphic executions will be at the core of our explorations.

adidas Deerupt is now available for registration on END. Launches.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity