adidas and Dragon Ball appear to have another project releasing this year, following up the original collection from last Fall. This year, however, things are a bit different, taking inspiration from more minor characters, like this disturbing depiction of Oolong on the Nizza Hi.
Let’s get straight to the point. This is an incredibly weird shoe. This is our first look at a potential new project between Dragon Ball and adidas, and I’ve gotta say, I’m fairly disappointed in this first look. No, it has nothing to do with the materials, execution, or the silhouette involved, and entirely to do with the graphics covering this Nizza Hi. The character whose name and face are lent to this silhouette is Oolong, a humanoid pig that appears throughout much of the original Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball GT series. While not out of the ordinary for the show, Oolong was depicted as comedic relief in the form of rampant perversion and borderline pedophilia. In nearly every scene involving him, Oolong makes some attempt to touch and/or look at naked women, sometimes removing their clothing or obtaining undergarments through nefarious means. This behavior begins in Dragon Ball with Bulma, who is said to be only a teenager at the time.
To begin, the canvas upper of the Nizza is decorated with a series of embroidered graphics for this release, which prominently feature Oolong’s face on the outer side. The rest of the shoe, however, is covered in crude depictions of smiling women’s underwear. Now, having watched the bulk of Dragon Ball shows that have appeared in the U.S., I understand that this is a large portion of Oolong’s (outdated) character. (They’ve added more depth to him over the years but… apparently not enough.) However, it should never be the sole representation of him, especially on a product aimed at children and young adults who are familiar with the show. If the only way to characterize him is through sex and the severe perversion he is largely known for, maybe adidas should reconsider adding this character to their next Dragon Ball lineup.
adidas’ next project with Dragon Ball has not yet been announced by either brand, though we expect them to launch sometime before the end of the year, if this pair does, in fact, make it to retailers. Check out the official images below for a better look at the crude new take on the Nizza, and stay tuned to JustFreshKicks for more adidas x Dragon Ball release news.
