Designer wear and activewear used to represent different sectors of the industry. In the last few years, with a number of diverse collaborations that have challenged the boundaries of sport and fashion, many sport brands are creating new product lines in collaborations with fashion designers. Everyone wants to be seen as cool or get a designer edge, so active sport leaders are reaching out to established designers. Now that everyone is running after collector's items or limited editions, they are turning these opportunities into new brands for a specific design conscious clientele.

Adidas' collaborations with Stella McCartney and Y-3 have helped the Adidas’ image by expanding their business, and now they’ve reached out to another product specialist – Diesel. They’ve established a four-year collaboration to develop Adidas Originals Denim with the denim leader. Adidas Originals Denim by Diesel will be available next February exclusively at Adidas Originals stores worldwide and will offer two styles for both men and women.

Another sport brand expanding into the designer world is Puma. They created different collaboration projects that bring the cool street look of sport shoes to everyday footwear for design conscious people. Their most interesting ones include a collaboration with Alexander McQueen (which feature a ManCat icon, a fusion of the man, Alexander McQueen, and the animal, Puma, that symbolized the birth of a new entity). Its goal is to "define a new provocative horizon in Sport-Fashion" with street sole related to hip-hop culture and street influences. Other Puma collaborations worth looking at are the ones with Neil Barrett (Puma 96 hours) and Puma by Miharayasohiro by Japanese shoe designer Yasuhiro Mihara.

Adidas Originals Denim by Diesel

Puma / Alexander McQueen

http://alexandermcqueen.puma.com/

Puma 96 hours

Puma by Miharayasohiro