Pharrell and Adidas Threw a Beach Party in the South of France for Their Newest Shoe
While Pharrell and Adidas’ Jellyfish takes inspiration from the fluid form of a jellyfish, their next shoe is made to actually go into the water.
The Pharrell x Adidas Virginia Watermoc is a slip-on shoe with all the appearances of grip and water dispersion. A mix of woven nylon, mesh and neoprene define the upper with speed-lacing and a velcro shroud. Rubber reinforcements also line the toe, running into a sole unit with a moderate amount of tread that should carry its wearer from a trail to a body of water.
Several colorways of the Virginia Watermoc began surfacing at Paris Fashion Week Men’s just before Pharrell and Adidas Originals brought the style to Marseille, France on Sunday with an all-day and night beach takeover at Boa Vista Beach Club.
Guests had an exclusive first look at the new Watermoc while spending the day competing in beachside activities including capture the flag, beach volleyball, and paddle relay races before gathering at sunset as Kaytranada took over the shoreline.
Pharrell himself then posted the shoe to Instagram Monday afternoon in five: red, blue, green, yellow and black. Each makes use of metallic silver accents and feature “Virginia” branding on the insole and inner side of the strap.
Just last year, Adidas dropped a Watermoc EQT based off of its original water shoe from 1997. Pharrell’s design holds little in common with either shoe beside the name, but it does borrow the sole unit from the Carnuba Adventure Moc released in 2005.
Pharrell also indicated that the nickname for the shoe is the “Starfish,” making a tidy follow-up to the Jellyfish, and posted a meme of the marine invertebrate with a defined posterior wearing the Virgina Watermoc.
This marks the two partners’ second new model to debut this year after the thin-soled Vario Flat Earther launched in April. In his role at Louis Vuitton, Pharrell has spurred debates over originality over a design with a strong resemblance to the Vans Authentic.
The Pharrell x Adidas Virginia Watermoc is expected to release in September, likely through the Confirmed app and select third-party retailers. Pricing is set at $220.
