Adidas x TMNT Shelltoe: Turtle Power
Price: $125 [SOLD OUT; Check eBay for Current Pricing]
Why Buy?
The Adidas x TMNT Shelltoe has countless Easter Eggs, and probably the coolest sneaker packaging ever.
Why Avoid?
The Adidas x TMNT Shelltoe is a hard sneaker to style, and the materials feel cheaper than the price would justify.
Specs
| Model | Superstar |
| Height | Low |
| Materials | Nubuck / Suede / Faux Leather / Rubber |
| Size | 13 |
| Weight | 513 g / 1 lb 2 oz |
| Construction | Cemented & Sewn Cupsole |
| Country of Origin | Indonesia |
History
I’m going to level set with you. As a kid, I was a massive Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan. I was Raphael on more than one Halloween. I can bore you to death about how they were originally much darker and how the cartoon went child friendly. Heck, the theme song to the show played at my wedding.
Of course, I’m not the only person who was a fan of the show. There were millions of millennial aged men out there who have a somewhat similar story to tell. Adidas, knowing that, decided to take a play on a nickname for the Superstar – the “shelltoe” – and create this: the Adidas x TMNT Shelltoe.
The shell toe itself, of course, originally had nothing to do with turtles. The sneaker came out in the early 1980’s as one of the first leather basketball shoes. The rubberized toe was there to provide protection and durability.
The cynic in me knows that the connection between Adidas and the pizza-loving turtles is purely surface level. However, the level of detail that went into these is truly astonishing. Let’s dive into this collab, and see if they are worth it to you.
Packaging
Buying a pair of Adidas x TMNT Shelltoe sneakers really is an experience. These sneakers might have some of the coolest packaging I’ve ever seen.
To start off, they come in a clear plastic blister pack. Think like an action figure used to come in. This is a really neat design – though there are a couple of drawbacks. Less minor is that, since Adidas doesn’t typically do this, they only made one size. For big footed guys like me that isn’t a big deal, the sneakers fit well. However, for smaller sizes, they only fill out a small part of the package.
The more major issue is that Adidas didn’t take any care in shipping these. My pair came in an enormous box – think the boxes they ship 3 pairs in – with no padding. Being shipped in such a large box meant the packaging was cracked all along the bottom. While I didn’t contact them, there are plenty of stories online of Adidas telling people this should be expected. Yikes.
In better news, the details in packaging don’t stop there. The back cardboard plate, covered in designs, is actually a small pouch. Ripping the pouch open (which obviously prevents any returns), you get an unadvertised surprise. An Adidas-branded version of TMNT Comics number 1.
Looks
Upper
There is a lot to point out on the Adidas x TMNT Shelltoe. Might as well start at the front and work backwards.
Right up at the toe, these Shelltoes actually diverge from standard Superstars on the rubber toe. Instead of the standard pattern, these have a turtle shell/hexagon design. Just behind, you get a deubre of a red eye cover. You may know, but the colors we associate with the turtles were added for the TV show as a way of differentiating the characters. Originally, everyone – not just Raphael – wore red.
The majority of the upper is made with a heavily sanded and tumbled nubuck leather in an olive green. It’s supposed to look like turtle skin and does a good job. Honestly, maybe too good. It’s kind of creepy. This nubuck is accented by three red leather stripes on the side, with a forest green suede backing. Just behind those stripes, where you would normally find the “Superstar” branding, SHELLTOE is written in gold.
One tongue features the standard Superstar design, though in white and green, and the other features a turtle shell where the trefoil would be. Speaking of the tongue, this is the puffy design found on the lower end Superstars, rather than the flat leather design on the nicer ones.
Around back, the trefoil and Adidas writing is replaced by a comic book design, using the TMNT font. This is pressed into a less sanded nubuck panel in a greenish grey.
If you want to switch up the look, in addition to the white laces you also get a forest green pair and a red pair. Similarly, there is an extra 2 red deubres, and gold lace jewels – one each in “L,” “R,” “M,” and “D.”
Interior
The details on the Adidas x TMNT Shelltoe go so far, I had to add an entirely new section for interior to make sure I didn’t upset the Google SEO gods who punish any section longer than 300 words!
Going inside the sneaker, you’ll find the back half covered in a green felt – and that’s about the last standard thing you’ll find in here. Underneath the tongue, above the size tag, you’ll find “Ninja Power” sewn in red thread. Like the red coloring, ninja power was from the comics, Turtle Power came later.
The insoles feature a sewn in patch – Adidas on one, Eastman and Laird’s TMNT in the other. These patches sit on a pizza pattern those lines not just the insole, but most of the sneaker’s interior. Take those insoles out, though, and there is even more.
On the reverse of the pizza, a full color print of the turtles from the comic can be found. I think I prefer the hidden option – though the sewn in patch is a nice touch.
Believe it or not, it doesn’t even stop there. Printed on the strobel board, you’ll find a sewer manhole cover.
Mid- and Outsole
For all of the detail that has been packed in so far, the bottom of the shoe is much tamer. The bottom half of the Adidas x TMNT Shelltoe is a standard Superstar cupsole design. White along the edge, with gum on the outsole.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good look that fits the sneaker well. However, after the rest of the sneaker, “only” having a good-looking design seems out of place.
Most of you know what a superstar outsole is, but if not, you’re going to get a nice texture pattern along the edge, with herringbone underneath.
Summary
Typically, I don’t really like shoes that are a bit of a costume. I find you tend to open them up, put them on a shelf, and they sit there until you decide to sell them a year later. If you’re not into teenage mutant ninja turtles, these are likely unwearable for you. Go buy a Superstar 82 – it’s a great sneaker and is on sale for half of what these cost.
If you are a fan of TMNT – the comics or the show – just opening these is worth the cost of admission. I’ve unboxed a lot of shoes. From hyped retros to $1400 MSRP boots, and none of them come anywhere close to unboxing these.
Being 100% honest, while it might not feel quite as regal, unboxing these is more fun than some high end watches I own. Watches that easily spend more than these cost on just the box. From the blister pack, to the hidden comic, to hunting for the easter eggs on the sneakers – it’s a blast.
You might be able to justify the unboxing alone, and now you get a cool pair to look at on your shelf. Even if you never wear them.
Fit & Comfort
Fit
The Adidas x TMNT Shelltoe fits, unsurprisingly, like other Adidas Superstar models. For me, that means true to size, and a half size bigger than I take in Stan Smiths.
The good news is that since these use the patterning from the base model Superstar, you should be able to go into any Footlocker to try on a pair before you order.
I got these in a size 13, which is the same size I wear in most Nikes and Adidas.
Comfort
I can’t imagine anyone is buying this pair for comfort. And that’s a good thing, because the Adidas x TMNT Shelltoe is not a comfortable sneaker.
This pair, which uses the base materials in most places, is not my least comfortable pair of sneakers – but it’s close. There really isn’t much in the way of padding. Both the interior foam and the insole leave a lot to be desired. Additionally, many of the design choices (while cool) were clearly not made for comfort in mind.
For example, the interior lining is thicker than most, so the sneaker doesn’t flex the way you would want it to.
If you love the sneaker for the design the comfort probably won’t matter.
Materials & Construction
The materials on this sneaker are a bit unique from most Superstars. The upper of the Adidas x TMNT Shelltoe is made from a nubuck leather. This is a leather that, unlike suede, is smooth side out, but is sanded down to give that soft texture. Elsewhere on the upper, the grey panels are suede and the red is faux-leather.
Your laces are going to be standard cotton no matter the color, and the deubres are all metal. Inside, the lining is all polyester. Though, to get this design that is to be expected. The insole is a really cheap feeling open cell foam, sitting on top of an EVA foam wedge housed in the midsole.
The outsole and toe cap are all a dense rubber. While the “gum soles are always softer” line is not always true, in this case it is. The gum-colored outsole is the softest I’ve ever seen on a superstar. It doesn’t help in comfort, and will likely be less durable, but I don’t think anyone will wear these sneakers into the ground.
Construction
The Adidas x TMNT Shelltoe is made using a sewn-on cup sole, cemented to the upper. This is an older style of shoe construction where the upper of the sneaker is sewn and lasted before being glued to the midsole. After this, the top edge of the cup sole is sewn directly to the upper.
This style of construction tends to be much more durable than your standard cemented construction as you have both stitching and glue holding your shoe together. On the other hand, making a shoe this way means it isn’t going to be as flexible, and costs a bit more.
Pricing & Value
The Adidas x TMNT Shelltoe launched at $125. This puts them at a $25 premium over the base superstar, though $15 less than the 82 at MSRP and $25 less than the Lux. Honestly, I think that is a more than fair price point for these.
Sure, the materials are not great. However, add in the cost of the packaging, comic book, the details on the shoe, and paying the collaborator? I’m honestly surprise they didn’t price these $50 higher.
These launched a month ago, however as I write this there is one pair still available. A size 8 at ShoePalace if you’re interested. If you’re not a size 8, though, you’ll be paying resale. Price varies by size, but most are around $175.
$175 is what I think these probably should have sold for at retail, so I don’t think it’s that bad a deal.
Are the Adidas x TMNT Shelltoe Worth It?
I’d say yes!
Again, like I mentioned above, if you just want a good Superstar, get the 82. I think it might just be the best-done retro of all time and you can find them on sale for $70 dollars. These are not the pair to get for the average guy. However, the average guy didn’t get 2,000 words into a review of a sneaker themed on a fairly obscure comic from 40 years ago.
The Adidas x TMNT Shelltoe is exactly what a collaboration should be. The unboxing experience is amazing. The sneaker is full of details that you only see when owning it. They even come with a limited-edition comic that Adidas didn’t tell you about when you bought them!
The only real drawback I see is from the guys who work in Adidas’ warehouse. Just pick the smaller box!