LAGOS, NIGERIA – July 23, 2026 – What started in 2012 as a vision to create space for a skate culture that barely existed in Lagos has grown into one of Africa’s most influential creative communities. Founded by brothers Jomi Marcus-Bello and Nifemi Marcus-Bello, alongside KC Obijiaku, waf. (Wafflesncream) has spent the past 14 years building far more than a skate brand; it has cultivated a movement rooted in youth culture, creativity, and community.
Their journey reached a defining milestone in 2024 with the opening of their skatepark at Freedom Park, a former colonial prison transformed into a vibrant cultural landmark. From that foundation, waf. has continued to shape the region’s skate ecosystem, creating opportunities for young people while connecting skateboarding with fashion, music, art, and design.
Today, adidas and waf. (Wafflesncream) Unveil the Superstar ADV, the sportswear giant’s first-ever collaboration with a Nigerian brand. The project also marks a historic first for African skateboarding, with waf. Becoming the first skate collective from the continent to reimagine the iconic adidas Superstar. The sneaker is available for presale beginning today, with a global release scheduled for October.
Originally launched in 1970 as a basketball performance shoe, the adidas Superstar has evolved into one of the world’s most recognizable sneakers, transcending sport to become a staple across music, fashion, art, and skateboarding. More than five decades after its debut, this collaboration represents the first time an African skate community has contributed its own perspective to the silhouette, bringing the story and spirit of Lagos to one of adidas’ most celebrated designs.
Founded in 2012, waf. has become widely recognized as West Africa’s pioneering skate community. Beyond its retail and creative ventures, the collective has played a central role in growing skate culture across the region, with initiatives like its annual Go Skate Day celebrations helping establish one of Africa’s most significant gatherings for skateboarders and the wider creative community.
“There’s a phrase we hold on to: treat your context as an archive. Lagos has always been ours. When the Superstar arrived, a shoe with more than fifty years of history, the question was never how to decorate it. It was what this city would ask of it. The sides breathe because our heat demands it. The grey is the Island as it actually is. The pink is our sky. Skateboarding gave us our community, and that community gave this design its language. This shoe is where the two finally meet.” — Jomi Marcus-Bello, co-founder, waf.
Throughout its history, adidas has approached collaboration as a way to amplify communities and cultural movements already shaping the future. From partnerships rooted in local creativity to collaborations celebrating African design and heritage, the waf. Superstar ADV continues that legacy, bringing one of adidas’ most recognizable silhouettes into dialogue with one of Africa’s most influential creative communities.
Over the years, adidas has stood alongside waf., supporting community-led initiatives such as Go Skate Day and recognizing the collective effort that has helped shape Lagos’ thriving skate culture. The Superstar ADV collaboration continues that relationship, paying tribute to a movement built from the ground up by the skaters, creatives, and local community who have defined waf.’s journey.
Every detail of the collaborative Superstar ADV draws inspiration from the spirit of Lagos Island and the people who have lived, skated, and created there for more than a decade. The muted grey upper reflects the Island’s raw, industrial character and constant motion, while the translucent pink outsole references a familiar local moment, when the sky above Lagos takes on soft pink hues as it meets the Atlantic. Breathable side panels improve airflow for the city’s warm climate, ensuring the Superstar ADV is engineered not only as a symbol of waf.’s story, but as a performance-ready skate shoe made for the streets and community that inspired it.
“There’s a phrase we hold on to: treat your context as an archive. Lagos has always been ours. When the Superstar arrived, a shoe with more than fifty years of history, the question was never how to decorate it. It was what this city would ask of it. The sides breathe because our heat demands it. The grey is the Island as it actually is. The pink is our sky. Skateboarding gave us our community, and that community gave this design its language. This shoe is where the two finally meet.” — Jomi Marcus-Bello, co-founder, waf.
Throughout its history, adidas has embraced collaboration as a powerful way to celebrate the communities and cultural movements driving creativity forward. Whether partnering with local innovators or championing African design and heritage, the brand has consistently used collaboration to elevate authentic voices. The waf. Superstar ADV builds on that approach, reimagining one of adidas’ most iconic silhouettes through the lens of one of Africa’s most impactful creative communities.
“For fifty years, the Superstar has been claimed by hip-hop, by skate, by fashion, by communities who took it and made it theirs. waf. have been at the forefront of skateboarding and culture in Lagos without waiting for anyone’s permission. This shoe is that story, told in their language, and it opens a chapter the Superstar has never had: an African one.” — Estee Erasmus, Director, Category Management EM South, adidas
Launching globally on October 12, 2026, the waf. × adidas Superstar ADV is more than a fresh take on one of adidas’ most celebrated silhouettes. The collaboration marks 14 years of creativity, resilience, and community-building, celebrating the journey of a movement that grew from the streets of Lagos into a globally recognized force within sneaker and skate culture.
The presale begins on July 23, 2026, with an exclusive limited release at adidas Lekki, Lagos. The worldwide launch follows on October 12, 2026, starting at the WAF. flagship store in Lagos before expanding to select adidas retail locations and the brand’s online store. The Superstar ADV will retail for $110.
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