Kith, Lionel Messi, and adidas Football present a new collection timed to two anniversaries: 20 years since Messi’s debut on football’s biggest stage and 15 years of Kith. Ronnie Fieg and Messi worked on the collection over the course of a year, meeting several times to shape a release that includes performance pieces, lifestyle apparel, six footwear styles, co-branded football gear, and limited-edition trading cards.
SPORTSWEAR
The collection uses Kith, Messi, and adidas Football branding throughout. Select styles feature 20th and 15th anniversary crests, along with the KXVH Monogram created for the project. The range includes pieces for the pitch, pieces for daily wear, footwear tied to adidas Football history, and collectible items built around Messi’s image.
Two 2006-inspired jersey designs use Messi’s original number 19, while two additional jerseys feature number 10. Each jersey comes with matching shorts, creating full kit options. The football range also includes all-over printed long-sleeve goalkeeper jerseys, gloves, tracksuits, nylon warm-up pullovers, socks, a ball bag, and two sizes of co-branded footballs.
The off-field range includes a double-breasted suit, a short-sleeve crossover blazer with matching suit shorts, a washed denim jacket with matching shorts, a knit polo, wool tracksuits, and a leather duffle bag.
The six footwear styles include performance-focused references and lifestyle silhouettes. The COPA Mundial 17 UltraBOOST returns as a nod to the first Kith and adidas Football partnership from 2017, with a snakeskin-embossed leather upper. The F50 Megaride features a gradient upper and a translucent midsole that changes appearance with interchangeable insoles. The F50 Walkable Cleat references the first adidas cleat Messi wore during the 2006 World Cup.
The lifestyle footwear range includes two Handball Spezial colorways with premium suede uppers and gum sole units. A special deconstructed Superstar completes the footwear lineup, placing another adidas classic inside the project.
Kith, Messi, and adidas Football also created two limited-edition trading cards for the release. The cards show Messi alongside graphics from the collection. Customers who purchase any of the four jerseys or six footwear styles receive a card as a gift with purchase. Select in-store and online orders will include Messi-signed cards, authenticated and graded by PSA. Fewer than 100 of each signed card exist.
The campaign features Messi in still photography and in a short film titled The International Language of Messi. The film uses commentary in different languages during some of his most memorable goals, with Messi’s name as the one word every viewer understands. Kith debuted the film at Nu Stadium during an Inter Miami CF match on May 24. After the screening, attendees received limited early access to shop the collection through the Kith App.
Kith & Messi for adidas Football releases globally on Friday, May 29 at all Kith stores. The collection also launches at 11 AM on Kith.com and the Kith App in the New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo time zones.
