adidas x overkill | the new mission zx away from home collection

adidas x Overkill.

Football shirts and adidas ZX runners have always shared the same emotional ecosystem. Tribal loyalty, obsessive collectors, endless archive discussions and grown adults arguing over colour blocking at three in the morning. adidas and Berlin sneaker institution Overkill clearly understand that better than most, because their latest collaboration arrives wrapped inside an entire fictional football universe complete with undercover missions, cinematic reels and a cast that reads like German pop culture bingo.

Titled ‘Mission ZX: Away from Home,’ the project marks the next instalment in the long-running relationship between the two brands and lands at a moment where football nostalgia is completely swallowing fashion again. Between the return of the Trefoil to international kits, the resurgence of terrace dressing and the internet’s renewed fixation on archival adidas runners, the timing feels almost suspiciously perfect.

At the centre sit two new silhouettes: the ZX 8000 Overkill and ZX 9000 Overkill. Both reinterpret the aesthetics of Germany’s latest home and away football shirts through the lens of adidas’ beloved ZX lineage, one of the most technically important running franchises in sneaker history. Introduced throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s under the guidance of legendary designer Jacques Chassaing, the ZX line became synonymous with experimental colour combinations, visible Torsion systems and performance engineering that accidentally evolved into streetwear mythology.

adidas x Overkill.

adidas x Overkill.

Overkill has long operated as one of the silhouette’s most devoted custodians. Berlin’s sneaker scene practically worships the ZX archive, and Marc Leuschner’s store has spent years building cult-status collaborations around it. Previous projects like the ‘Heimspiel’ ZX 8000 from 2024 already explored football terrace nostalgia, but ‘Away from Home’ pushes the concept much further into full cultural storytelling. 

The campaign unfolds through a three-part cinematic reel series inspired by old-school espionage films. Leuschner himself stars as a mysterious groundskeeper transporting a classified World Cup strategy across continents alongside football icon Thomas Müller, rapper Nura and television presenter Kai Pflaume.

Visually, the two pairs split into home and away identities. The ZX 9000 channels Germany’s home kit through darker tones of black, red and gold, while the ZX 8000 references the away strip with cooler white and navy accents. Both remain rooted in predominantly white uppers, avoiding the heavy-handed football branding that often kills these sorts of collaborations.

adidas x Overkill.

Materially, the shoes go surprisingly deep. The ZX 8000 combines pinstripe mesh with premium suede and nubuck overlays, creating a layered texture that mirrors vintage football tailoring. The ZX 9000 takes a more technical route, introducing reflective silver heel cage inserts covered in Overkill graphics alongside lenticular tongue labels and gradient Three Stripes that subtly echo the visual language of 1990s adidas Federation kits. Multiple lace options arrive alongside custom lace tags and specially designed insoles, while Overkill branding appears across the tongue and heel without overwhelming the original adidas features.

 

The adidas ZX 8000 Overkill and ZX 9000 Overkill launch exclusively via Overkill on May 30. Find out more here.

photography. courtesy of adidas, Overkill
words. Gennaro Costanzo