Adidas x Fear of God Los Angeles: For the Jerry Fans
Price: $170 [Sold Out; Check eBay for Current Prices]
Why Buy?
The Adidas x Fear of God Los Angeles carries the Fear of God aesthetic for less than half of other FoG branded sneakers.
Why Avoid?
The materials are not what you might expect from a $170 sneaker.
Specs
Model | FoG Los Angeles |
Height | Low |
Materials | Rip Stop / Suede / Light Strike / Rubber |
Size | 13 |
Weight | 475 g / 1 lb 0.75 oz |
Construction | Cemented |
Country of Origin | China |
History
Jerry Lorenzo and his brand, Fear of God, are not new to the world of sneakers. He famously released several collabs with Nike before getting pulled over to the brand with three stripes.
After which… not a lot happened. It took years to go from the announcement to actually seeing the products. However, we now have the collaboration items in hand. While the Basketball sneaker has gotten a lot of the attention on sneaker blogs, out on the street I think that most people actually have a bigger interest in this – the Los Angeles Runner. Or, for the sake of keeping things shorter in the review, Los Angeles.
Designed as a reimagining of an older Adidas design – the L.A. Trainer – this model is designed to blend the two styles of Lorenzo and Adidas more cohesively.
However, this line certainly didn’t launch without some controversy. Each of the products launched at prices that were 20-30 percent more than people expected. In fact, the Los Angeles is one of the most affordable items out there and they definitely are not cheap.
This all raises the question – are the Adidas x Fear of God Los Angeles worth it? Let’s dive in and find out.
Looks
Upper
The upper of the Adidas x Fear of God Los Angeles is basic to most, but is actually somewhat complex for a Fear of God design. Featuring a mix of suede and rip stop, the panels are classic Adidas. A toe guard, three stripes, heel cup and eyelet panel in suede. Ripstop underneath it all.
I like the design for a Fear of God sneaker. Their famously neutral design philosophy can look great in magazines but can be harder to pull off in real life. However, I have to admit, it’s not exactly what I would call inspiring. This pattern has been on approximately 10 million adidas shoe designs already.
Stepping away from the standard, these do feature a heavily padded collar, and a plastic lace lock.
Of course, this being the clay colorway, everything comes in a light brown.
The materials look… OK. The rip-stop in particular is a let down visually, however I realize that could be personal preference. The one exception is the tongue, where the suede feels amazing.
Mid and Outsole
If the upper of the Adidas x Fear of God Los Angeles was a big let down, the bottom half of the sneaker is where they begin to claw back.
Now, don’t get me wrong. This is still a Jerry Lorenzo design. It isn’t going to be loud, flashy, and in your face. That being said, this is actually a Jerry Lorenzo design, not just a brown shoe that could have been any Adidas made in the last 35 years.
Featuring a wedge shaped midsole, it evokes the original NMD, 1970’s runners, and ultra minimalist slides all at once. There isn’t all that much to it, though. It’s a cream, flat midsole with a slight divot on the side.
Around back, a black plasticy rubber panel lets everyone know this is a Fear of God collab.
On the bottom of the sneaker, a soft translucent rubber with a wave pattern covers the bottom. I really like this. It’s got crepe sole vibes, which is very popular now, but should avoid turning black immediately like those soles do.
Summary
I’m not entirely sure how I feel about the Adidas x Fear of God Los Angeles from a style perspective. There is a lot to like. The midsole feels like a truly premium design. Further, while the colors are basic, they go together really well. It’s easy to think “oh, it’s just creams and beiges,” however getting 4 different neutrals to really work takes skill.
At the same time, I can’t shake that the sneaker feels one step removed from one you’d find in an Adidas outlet.
To be fair, I’ve never been a huge Fear of God fan. It’s possible that where I see boring, you might see clean esthetic. Where I see existing designs, you see a premium take on a classic. If this is your opinion, you’re not wrong.
Fit & Comfort
Fit
The Adidas x Fear of God Los Angeles fits a little bit snugger than most sneakers. It isn’t in just one dimension either – they are shorter, narrower, and lower volume. I ordered this pair in my typical size 13, and would have fit better in a 13.5 if they had them.
That being said, the thin materials of the upper are very forgiving. These are not unwearable in my typical size, especially if I opt for thinner socks over more padded athletic style.
Comfort
The Adidas x Fear of God Los Angeles is a comfortable enough shoe. The thin upper allows for a lot of flexibility – even if that means trading off some support in the process.
Underfoot, the light strike foam is comfortable enough. I’ve found that light strike might not be as durable as Adidas originally let on, but being encapsulated might mean this sneaker is a bit better. I don’t think I’m the only one who believes this since most Adidas sneakers have moved away from the material as well.
I should also add that the rubber outsole is also extremely soft and noticeably improves comfort. It gives a two-step comfort where the outsole absorbs a bit, then the midsole.
These certainly are not going to replace your ultraboosts, but are perfectly fine to spend an entire day in walking around.
Materials & Construction
Materials
The Adidas x Fear of God Los Angeles features a few key materials that you should know about if you’re going to pick these up.
On the upper, you’ll find lots of suede and rip-stop. The suede that they use feels extremely soft. It might be a bit thinner than other suedes, but considering these sneakers clearly want to try and create a sleek design, I can see why.
The rip stop is also thin, and this one I don’t think I can be as forgiving. The rip stop is the base layer, so it’s thickness won’t impact the design much at all. And, unfortunately, this thin rip stop will almost certainly be the first point of failure on this sneaker. I can’t imagine it lasting all that long.
This sneaker is lined with a faux-suede along the throat. Typically, I don’t like this sort of stuff, but it doesn’t feel bad and will likely be more durable than real suede on this high-wear area.
The insole is a fairly standard foam, but isn’t anything to complain about.
Under your foot, the bottom half of the Adidas x Fear of God Los Angeles has a cup sole made of a PU foam that is a great material choice. It’ll be durable enough to last a long time, but is soft enough that it doesn’t harm comfort. I really like this pick.
Inside that PU, Adidas added their light strike EVA foam. This foam was supposed to be the main foam for their running shoes but didn’t end up working as well as they would have hopped, but is fine here.
Finishing everything out, the rubber outsole is a softer compound. This might not be quite as durable as you might hope, but will still probably outlast that rip-stop.
Construction
The Adidas x Fear of God Los Angeles is made using cemented construction. Or, more simply, the sneaker is put together entirely using glue.
This is – by far – the most common way to make a sneaker today. If you want a more in-depth explanation, you can find that here, but here is a quick summary. The benefits of cemented construction come in its flexibility and water resistance. With no stitching, the sneaker is able to move with you, and has less areas for water to get in. That being said, the materials on this pair will let water right through anyway.
As for drawbacks, cemented construction tends to be the least durable because if the glue dries out, the sneaker falls apart. It’s also much harder to replace a worn-out outsole.
Price
The Adidas x Fear of God Los Angeles Runner in this clay colorway was released at a price of $170. While certainly not cheap, this actually puts this below a number of other sneakers. These don’t just come in below other collabs from this past year – such as the HumanRace Sambas – but also under a lot of Adida’s main line sneakers like the Ultraboost.
It’s true that the materials don’t blow me away, but considering that any collab means that the collaborator needs to get paid out ~$20 or so a pair, needs new marketing, new packaging, etc. it’s hard to argue that these are overpriced.
They are listed as sold out on Adidas, however at time of writing they are available under retail in most sizes on eBay.
Even better, on the resale market they are going for a bit under retail, though that could go up or down after a few months’ time.
Wrap Up
At the end of the day, is the Fear of God Los Angeles worth it? I think there is a pretty simple answer to this.
Do you like the Fear of God aesthetic and are willing to make a few minor trades for it? If so, the Fear of God Los Angeles is definitely worth it. The sneaker isn’t the most durable option, but all things being said, it costs way less than other sneakers with this design aesthetic and is comfortable enough to wear as an everyday pair.
Are you looking for the next stylish collab and don’t care if it’s Fear of God with Jerry Lorenzo or Kith with Jerry Seinfeld? This is where I’d put myself and if this is you too, I think this is one you can skip. It’s a perfectly fine sneaker, but there are countless collabs doing tan running shoes.
For those in the second camp this is the type of sneaker you get, wear twice, and then find it sits in the back of your closet for 8 months before you decide to list it on ebay.