adidas x Pokémon 2026: limited 30th anniversary collection

adidas x Pokémon 2026: limited 30th anniversary collection, September 2026, all 12 pairs

adidas Originals and The Pokémon Company are dropping a joint collection for the series' 30th anniversary. Release lands in September 2026 through adidas.com and selected retailers, and nobody has given an exact date yet (as of August 3, 2026). Twelve pairs are already known, complete with SKUs. The Superstar II carries Charmander (KI2855), Charmeleon (KI2856) and three Pikachu variants (KI2857, KI2858, KI2862), Charizard gets a Superstar Vintage of its own (KI2861), Gastly (KJ5610), Haunter (KJ5611) and Gengar (KJ5609) go onto the Adistar silhouettes, Mewtwo lands on the Samba OG (KI8222) and ZX 8000 (KI5326), and Rayquaza on the Megaride F50 (KI5325). US retail starts at 110 dollars for the Superstar II, and the priciest pair, the Superstar Vintage "Charizard", sits at 180 dollars. adidas.co.uk has not published sterling pricing yet. Soleback cashback on adidas.co.uk is 2 percent.

Contents

1. What is actually dropping
2. All 12 pairs
3. Pricing, retail and cashback
4. The Charmander line: Superstar II and Superstar Vintage
5. Pikachu: three pairs on one silhouette
6. The ghosts: Gastly, Haunter, Gengar
7. Mewtwo and Rayquaza
8. How this looks for resale
9. How to prep for the drop
10. The takeaway
11. FAQ
12. Sources

1. What is actually dropping

Pokémon turns 30. Red and Green launched in Japan on February 27, 1996, and the anniversary year has been played wide: PUMA first, then Crocs, now adidas Originals.

This is not a rerun of 2020. The last adidas and Pokémon Company project leaned almost entirely on apparel and stayed visually safe. This time every Pokémon gets its own design language: textured materials, character graphics, dedicated insoles, Poké Ball dubrae and bespoke boxes.

What is confirmed as of August 3, 2026:

• September 2026 release, adidas.com and selected retailers, online and in store
• 12 pairs with confirmed SKUs
• Silhouettes: Superstar II, Superstar II Mid, Superstar Vintage, Adistar Control 5, Adistar XLG 2.0, Samba OG, ZX 8000, Megaride F50
• Adult and kids sizing
• Apparel, accessories and special packaging alongside the footwear

What is still open: the exact release date, the sales format (CONFIRMED raffle or standard FCFS), sterling pricing, and how much stock the UK actually gets.

2. All 12 pairs

As of August 3, 2026, based on the House of Heat rundown and official retailer imagery.

• adidas Superstar II "Charmander" (KI2855)
• adidas Superstar II "Charmeleon" (KI2856)
• adidas Superstar Vintage "Charizard" (KI2861)
• adidas Superstar II "Pikachu" White (KI2857)
• adidas Superstar II "Pikachu" Yellow (KI2858)
• adidas Superstar II Mid "Pikachu" (KI2862)
• adidas Adistar Control 5 "Gastly" (KJ5610)
• adidas Adistar Control 5 "Haunter" (KJ5611)
• adidas Adistar XLG 2.0 "Gengar" (KJ5609)
• adidas Megaride F50 "Rayquaza" (KI5325)
• adidas Samba OG "Mewtwo" (KI8222)
• adidas ZX 8000 "Mewtwo" (KI5326)

The collection spans 110 to 180 dollars depending on the model.

One caveat belongs here. Several outlets described the third Pikachu pair as a Pro Model, but the SKU list points to the Superstar II Mid (KI2862), the high-top version of the same silhouette rather than a separate basketball model. We will verify once adidas announces officially.

3. Pricing, retail and cashback

adidas.co.uk has not published sterling pricing yet.

The mechanism is simple: you go to adidas.co.uk through Soleback, cashback is calculated on the order value and lands in your account once the returns window closes. On a collection where you realistically want two or three pairs, that adds up to a figure worth having.

One practical note: cashback covers online orders only. Purchases in an adidas store are outside the programme.

4. The Charmander line: Superstar II and Superstar Vintage

Charmander (KI2855) gets a Superstar II in cream white with yellow and orange accents, official colorway Cream White/Shock Yellow/Orange. The Three Stripes are cut into flame shapes here.

Charmeleon (KI2856) goes darker red, colorway Preloved Scarlet/Preloved Scarlet/Cream White, with the stripes replaced by three-dimensional claws.

Charizard is the only one of the trio that does not sit on the Superstar II. It gets the Superstar Vintage (KI2861) instead, the most expensive pair in the collection at 180 dollars. The upper is orange leather with a scale-like texture, a wing-shaped flap sits at the lacing with a turquoise underside, and the shell toe stays cream. That winged flap is a clear nod to Jeremy Scott's winged adidas work.

For collectors this is the most interesting group in the collection. Three pairs close out a full evolution line, and the silhouette switch on the third gives the set a proper payoff.

5. Pikachu: three pairs on one silhouette

Pikachu takes the largest share of the collection, and all three pairs sit on the Superstar II.

KI2857 is the white version (Footwear White/Core Black/Gold Metallic) with an all-over character print. The quietest of the three and the only one that wears easily day to day.

KI2858 is the yellow version with a textured fur-effect upper, black laces and black accents at the sole. Add large character graphics on the panels, the Pikachu wordmark woven into the Three Stripes, chenille patches at the heel and a removable lightning bolt charm standing in for the tail.

KI2862 is the Superstar II Mid, the high-top of the same silhouette in the same yellow palette.

The yellow pair and the Mid are shoes you wear on purpose or not at all. The white one is the only pair of the three that slots into a normal rotation.

6. The ghosts: Gastly, Haunter, Gengar

The second complete evolution line in the collection, this time spread across two silhouettes from the Adistar family.

Gastly (KJ5610) and Haunter (KJ5611) sit on the Adistar Control 5. Gengar (KJ5609) gets the Adistar XLG 2.0, a silhouette that is effectively the cheaper cousin of Pharrell's viral adidas Jellyfish. The layered purples suit the character without any stretching, and Gengar's eyes climb onto the upper.

7. Mewtwo and Rayquaza

Mewtwo gets two pairs, and they are the calmest designs in the whole collection.

The Samba OG "Mewtwo" (KI8222) puts the character's lavender palette on the 1950s football silhouette. A Mewtwo portrait sits on the tongue tag, and the Psystrike attack is worked into the hangtag. Retail 110 dollars.

The ZX 8000 "Mewtwo" (KI5326) was the first pair of the project to leak, back in April 2026. Official colorway is Ice Lavender/Violet Fusion/Bliss Lilac, and the heel is moulded to mimic Mewtwo's ears.

Rayquaza (KI5325) is the only third-generation pair and the only one on the Megaride F50. The least obvious silhouette choice in the collection.

If you want a pair you will actually wear to the office, the Samba OG and ZX 8000 are the safest picks.

8. How this looks for resale

Straight up: as of August 3, 2026 there is no production data and no resale pricing, because the collection has not released. What follows is inference from comparable drops, not hard numbers.

What works in its favour:

• Pokémon is one of the strongest licences in the world, and a 30th anniversary happens once
• The collection hits two audiences at once, sneakerheads and TCG collectors, so demand has two sources
• Pairs with physical details (Charizard's wings, Pikachu's tail, the fur upper) degrade fast in wear, so deadstock examples with the full accessory set will stand out

What works against it:

• 12 pairs in one collection is a lot. Demand splits across models, and adidas rarely runs the Superstar in tight numbers
• The Superstar is not at a hype peak right now, and the Superstar II is a new iteration with no secondary market history
• Pop culture anniversary collabs restock often

The takeaway: treat this as a collector cop, not a flip plan. If you are eyeing a margin anyway, the cashback on a retail cop is the only certain line in the maths, because it accrues regardless of what the secondary market does. There is more on working out your real cost in our guide to buying sneakers cheaper.

9. How to prep for the drop

September 2026, exact date pending. What to sort beforehand:

1. Set up and verify an adidas.co.uk account with your address and payment method saved. Registering mid-drop costs two minutes you do not have.
2. Install the adidas CONFIRMED app. On anniversary collabs adidas regularly pushes part of the run into an in-app raffle.
3. Check your size in advance. The Superstar and Samba OG run narrow, and the Mid sits differently around the ankle. Note your UK and EU sizes, do not guess.
4. Activate cashback before you hit the basket. The click through Soleback has to be the last one before adidas.co.uk, otherwise the 2 percent will not track.
5. Build a priority list, ideally by SKU. With 12 pairs on one page there is no time to deliberate on drop day.

10. The takeaway

adidas x Pokémon means September 2026, 12 pairs with confirmed SKUs, retail between 110 and 180 dollars, and sales through adidas.com plus selected retailers. The easiest to wear are the Samba OG (KI8222) and ZX 8000 (KI5326) in Mewtwo trim, along with the white Superstar II Pikachu (KI2857). The strongest collector pieces are the Superstar Vintage "Charizard" (KI2861) and the complete evolution line. Do not buy this as an investment, the collection is too broad for a safe flip.

If you are taking a pair or two, go through Soleback to adidas.co.uk and take the 2 percent cashback with it. We will add the release date and sterling pricing here as soon as adidas confirms them. Worth a look too: our rundown of the best sneaker stores, so you have a backup source if adidas.co.uk sells out.

11. FAQ

When exactly does adidas x Pokémon release?

September 2026. Neither adidas nor The Pokémon Company has given an exact date (as of August 3, 2026). Sales start through adidas.com and selected retailers, online and in store.

How many pairs are in the collection?

12 pairs with confirmed SKUs, plus apparel and accessories in adult and kids sizing.

How much do the adidas x Pokémon sneakers cost?

In the US, from 110 dollars for the Superstar II and Samba OG up to 180 dollars for the Superstar Vintage "Charizard" (KI2861). adidas.co.uk has not published sterling pricing yet.

Which pair is the most expensive?

The Superstar Vintage "Charizard" (KI2861) at 180 dollars. The other known prices sit at 110 dollars.

Will it be a raffle or a normal release?

The format is not confirmed. On anniversary collabs adidas usually runs both: part of the stock through a CONFIRMED app raffle, part through standard FCFS on the site.

Which pair works best for everyday wear?

The Samba OG "Mewtwo" (KI8222) and ZX 8000 "Mewtwo" (KI5326). Both keep a muted lavender palette with no physical add-ons like wings or tails. Among the Superstars, the white Pikachu (KI2857) is the safest pick.

Does Pikachu get a Pro Model?

Several outlets described the third Pikachu pair as a Pro Model, but the SKU list points to the Superstar II Mid (KI2862). Treat it as unconfirmed until the official announcement.

Will adidas x Pokémon restock?

There is no information on planned restocks. Pop culture anniversary collabs get them more often than limited designer collabs, but that is a market pattern rather than an adidas announcement.

How much cashback do I get on adidas.co.uk?

2 percent of the order value through Soleback. Cashback applies to online orders and credits once the returns window closes.

Will the collection come to the UK?

adidas has confirmed sales through adidas.com and selected retailers without breaking it down by market. Distribution through adidas.co.uk is very likely but has not been separately confirmed.

How does this differ from the 2020 adidas x Pokémon collection?

That one leaned almost entirely on apparel and stayed visually safe. This one brings dedicated footwear designs with physical character details, bespoke insoles, Poké Ball dubrae and separate packaging.

What else has landed for the 30th anniversary?

Earlier in 2026 there was Pokémon x PUMA, including a Suede in Pikachu trim. Crocs also released starter-themed pairs. The anniversary year covers game and TCG projects too.

12. Sources

• adidas UK: adidas.co.uk
• House of Heat: houseofheat.co
• Sneaker News: sneakernews.com