Price: $300 [Mostly Sold Out; Check eBay for Current Prices]
Why Buy?
The Adidas Jellyfish offers really interesting style for people who are not into the slim sneaker trend.
Why Avoid?
The Adidas Jellyfish has a retail price that is hard to justify, and the comfort doesn’t match modern alternatives.
Specs
| Model | Jellyfish |
| Height | Low |
| Materials | Rubberized Plastic / Mesh / Polyurethane / Rubber |
| Size | 13 |
| Weight | 669 g / 1 lb 7.3 oz |
| Construction | Cemented |
| Country of Origin | Vietnam |
History
If you were a sneaker reseller, the past couple of years have been the Great Depression. We’ve seen dropping values, fire sales, and you’re probably walking around with a “will sell Jordan 1s for food” sign. One of the few sneakers to buck the trend was Pharrell’s collaboration with Adidas known as the “Jellyfish.”
The sneaker ran counter to recent trends where everything was getting slimmer and simpler. Released under the “Virginia” branding, the Jellyfish was the exact opposite. People seemed to love it. Not only did the first few releases resell for thousands of dollars, it helped drive sales of the sneaker it was based on.
This week, Adidas opened the tap. They released a Jellyfish for the masses. With high stock levels and availability at places like Foot Locker, this was the first time most people were able to get their hands on a pair. It also leaves the question – can the Jellyfish stand on its own, or, with the limited-edition hype gone, does it become more of a blobfish.
Let’s dive in and find out.
Looks
Upper
The upper of the Adidas Jellyfish certainly stands out. The structural upper of the sneaker is actually pretty basic. Just a dual-layer mesh. However, it’s absolutely covered with rubberized plastic panels. It’s hard to describe in text. By my count, there are at least 40 distinct panels attached to that mesh upper, some of which stick out from the shoe by nearly a full inch. Some of them even glow in the dark.
One thing can be said, however, the sneaker definitely gives off an aquatic vibe and I can see where the Jellyfish name comes from.
Other than the plastic panels (if you can take your eyes off of them) there is a toe panel with some reflective hits, a heel panel in the same material, and some heat pressed Adidas and Jellyfish logos on the heel and tongue.
Inside, the Adidas Jellyfish is lined with an off-white mesh with heavy padding around the tongue and collar.
This particular colorway is the Triple White, using a mixture of off-white, cream, and beige panels. While I personally prefer the punchier colors dropped before this one, I’ll admit this looks great. Just don’t expect a crisp white pair.
Mid- and Outsole
The Mid- and Outsole of the Adidas Jellyfish is somehow even chunkier than the upper, though the sneaker does tone down the extremity in design a little.
First, these are wide. My size 13 pair is nearly 6 inches wide at the forefoot and 5 inches wide in the heel. That’s about 2 inches wider than the widest part of the rubber panels on the upper. I can’t overstate just how chunky these look in person.
That being said, if you set the width aside for a moment, the design of the midsole isn’t anything that particularly out of the ordinary. Sure, there are some sculpting lines and a plastic shank that comes up under your heel, but the rest matches the Adistar Cushion these are based off of. In fact, since the Adistar midsoles were typically painted different colors, in some ways these are actually less design forward.
Summary
The Adidas Jellyfish is an in-your-face sneaker for people who want to be noticed. Expect to have people comment on your sneakers pretty much every time you wear them. This white colorway does offer a bit more maturity in style, but you can’t escape the bold design.
I feel like 90% of the reviews I write end up saying something along the lines of “these would look great with chinos and a nice shirt.” I’m not sure that’s true with these. The Adidas Jellyfish needs you to build the outfit around the sneaker – wide fit pants, fashion forward jacket, etc.
While I think the sneaker’s overall boldness isn’t hyper tied to the current style, I could see these being very hard to pull off if slimmer fits become more standard. If that happens, you might want to consider Pharrell’s other recent Adidas release.
Fit & Comfort
Fit
Believe it or not, in spite of the broad visuals, these sneakers actually fit very true to size. You should follow your typical sneaker size. More specifically, if you have wide feet don’t expect the Adidas Jellyfish to be any more accommodating than the Sambas in your closet.
I got these in my standard size 13, the same size I wear for Jordan 1s and Sambas, and it is definitely the correct size for me.
Comfort
The Adidas Jellyfish has a lot of visual impact, but the comfort probably won’t blow you away. Don’t get me wrong – there is plenty of foam under your feet, and the wide platform makes them incredibly stable, but there are two things holding these back.
First, while there is a lot of it, the foam that Adidas uses is their “Adiprene” foam, which is a blend of foams with polyurethane as its core cushion. While I do prefer PU to EVA on a sneaker like this, there is no getting around that neither of these foams hold a candle to more modern foams like PEBA, PEBAX, or even Boost.
Second, these things are big and heavy. You will absolutely bump into things when you walk around on these – they are noticeably wider than something like my White’s work boots. The world just isn’t designed for shoes that are 6 inches wide. Adding to that, these are around 30% heavier than something like a New Balance 990. Combined these feel clunky as an everyday wear.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say these are specifically uncomfortable – unless you’re in a tight space – but they certainly don’t have comfort to match the looks.
Materials & Construction
Materials
For as wild a design as the Adidas Jellyfish has, the materials list is far simpler.
The core of the upper is made from a dual-layer nylon mesh exterior, wrapped around an open celled foam padding, and finished with a dense and soft poly lined interior. On top of the exterior nylon, all of the aquatic-like additions are a rubberized plastic.
The toe and heel cap are both a synthetic material. While this sort of material is more durable, for the price I would really have preferred leather here. It’s hard to justify cheap plastic caps on a $300 sneaker.
Under foot, a thick open cell insole does a good job of offering the initial squish that the primarily polyurethane midsole lacks. In exchange, the midsole offers a more stabilized compression – further emphasized by the plastic shank plate.
Wrapping everything up, the outsole is two pieces of surprisingly thick rubber. Adidas didn’t need to include rubber this thick, but it is a nice pathway to extend the life of a pretty expensive sneaker.
Adidas Jellyfish Pricing
The Adidas Jellyfish comes in at an absolutely eye watering $300 price point. That’s double the MSRP of the sneaker these are based on – and at the time of writing nearly 5x what Adidas is charging during their back-to-school sale.
Thankfully for the Adidas Jellyfish fans, this Triple White colorway is actually going for under retail on sites like eBay and StockX. Not by much – around $280 at time of writing – but it does mean that I wouldn’t expect future models to be something you either need to buy at release or pay high resale prices.
From a pure value perspective, $300 is hard to justify. You can find bold, chunky sneakers with much better materials, such as the Made in UK New Balance 991v2, for way less money. That being said, if you really want something with a design this extreme, your options have exclusively been choices from brands like Balenciaga. If you were already going to spend $1,200 on a pair of Triple S sneakers, this $300 pair from Adidas is a bargain.
Who is the Adidas Jellyfish For?
The Adidas Jellyfish is a sneaker that is going to split opinions, both on style and on how much is acceptable to pay for a pair of sneakers from a main line brand.
The Adidas Jellyfish is for you if you’re the type of person who puts fashion above all else in an outfit. You’re willing to sacrifice a bit of comfort, practicality, and dollars in order to secure that one last piece that takes a look from every day to show stopping.
The Adidas Jellyfish might not be for you if you’re looking for an everyday pair of sneakers, or one that will be stylish for years to come. While the Jellyfish will likely be a very durable sneaker, the trade offs that come with the design probably won’t be worth it for most people.
