There are football shoes you wear to play in… and then there are football shoes you build a whole look around. The adidas x Sole Play Predator Sala? Yeah, that’s firmly the second type.
Of course you can play in the ‘Press Play’ Predator Sala. It’s “technically” designed for the court. But when something looks this dialled, there’s no chance it’s staying between 5-a-side boards. This is one of those rare drops where performance roots are just the starting point, not the destination. And that’s exactly what makes this collaboration hit so hard. It's collabing with meaning.
See, collabs in football culture usually fall into one of two camps. You’ve either got outside influence being pulled onto the pitch, or you get pure football aesthetics breaking free and spilling into wider culture. And this one sits firmly in the latter.
Adidas linking up with Atlanta-based platform Sole Play feels more like a cultural alignment rather than just another “brand x store” exercise. Atlanta has long been a powerhouse when it comes to music, style, tech and creativity, and now, with the World Cup on the horizon, the city’s football identity is only getting louder. This project taps right into that moment.
The fact that this project came through the adidas Business Track program adds even more weight. That initiative is all about supporting BIPOC-serving retailers with resources, mentorship, and real industry access, not just surface-level collaboration opportunities.
So instead of a big brand dictating the vision, Sole Play had space to actually lead.
From a design standpoint, the Predator Sala is doing a lot, but never feels overworked.
The base nods back to the iconic Predator Absolute, grounding it in proper football heritage. But everything layered on top pushes it into a different lane entirely.
The iridescent green upper is the obvious headline. It shifts depending on the light, meaning the shoe never really looks the same twice. It’s subtle flex meets full statement piece. The Three Stripes sit on top in red, hitting like a power button.
Elsewhere, the lace options tap into retro gaming nostalgia, calling back to those analogue cables used to hook up old-school consoles. The interchangeable fold-over tongues push that idea further, with one featuring embossed circuit board detailing that doubles down on the digital inspiration.
And the finishing touch comes via the holographic heel badges, where the branding shifts depending on the angle — flipping between the Three Stripes and play/pause symbols like a subtle visual easter egg.
It’s layered, it’s playful, and it rewards you for looking twice.
What really sets this apart is how naturally it blends influences. You’ve got football heritage running through the Predator lineage, gaming inspiration baked into both concept and detailing, Atlanta’s creative identity woven throughout, and a wider cultural message tying it all together. It just works seamlessly.
So yeah, you could wear them for a kickabout. But honestly? These hit too hard.
The Sole Play x adidas “Press Play” Predator Sala will release exclusively through Sole Play retail locations and online from 13 June at soleplayatl.com/
