Marvel’s endless and culturally penetrating success officially extends beyond the silver screen. Now, they've partnered with Adidas to create a "Heroes Among Us" sneaker collection inspired by the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
With Avengers: Endgame smashing breaking box-office records, and with the resurgent sales of comic books, memorabilia and action figures carrying the franchise outside of theaters, where could Marvel cement its footprint next? After all, Marvel didn’t become a global titan by making poor business decisions. (Remember when Sony nearly bought the rights to the majority of the Marvel Comics' character catalog in 1998, but they turned down the offer?)
So, Marvel is collaborating with the world’s leading sportswear brands on character-specific sneakers. Themed after icons of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (or MCU)—which began in 2008 with Iron Man and culminated earlier this year with the aforementioned fourth installment of Avengers—the latest and most influential business move has been this collection with Adidas.
This partnership is quite a genius, forward-thinking chess play from Marvel, much like their film directors' decision to fake their movie trailers to keep fans guessing. It combines two cult-like industries, sneakers and Marvel, with audiences that defy age and background. Millions of people love comics. The same, of course, can be said for the billion-dollar sneaker industry. And Marvel’s pivot into the global subculture wasn’t just strategic; It was actually good.
Adidas has created sneakers that reflect various Marvel heroes and carry the spirit of NBA and WNBA superstars. Here, we've ranked the five best “Heroes Among Us” styles that best resemble their respective heroes.