Pharrell Williams teams with adidas on the VIRGINIA Adistar Jellyfish, a vivid orange iteration that lands August 23. Introduced under VIRGINIA, Pharrell’s creative alias, community platform, and brand, the sneaker channels the energy of his home state while aiming for a wider audience. The project builds on the Adistar lineage and recasts it as a lifestyle piece with a design language that feels playful, graphic, and distinctly Pharrell.
SNEAKERS
The silhouette stands out immediately through its exaggerated midsole, shaped to echo the floating gills of a jellyfish. This foundation gives the shoe its sculptural profile and sets the tone for everything that follows. Above it, a layered mesh upper creates a sense of movement, while exoskeletal elements frame the foot and emphasize the sneaker’s futuristic stance. A glow-in-the-dark detail adds a nocturnal edge, reinforcing the aquatic theme without turning the concept into costume.
Branding remains purposeful. Custom “Jellyfish” marks and subtle “VIRGINIA” hits on the insole and tongue tie the design back to Pharrell’s world. The orange palette underscores the shoe’s graphic intent and reads cleanly against the intricate construction. The reference to marine life runs through both form and iconography: the midsole’s undulating geometry, the logo’s nod to the jellyfish silhouette, and the light-reactive accent that hints at bioluminescence.
The launch arrives with a campaign that imagines divers transfixed by the beauty of jellyfish within a fictional coral reef. By staging an invented environment, the concept points to the fragility of real ecosystems without disturbing them. The visuals draw from vintage dive photography and the textures of classic nature films, giving the story a cinematic quality that suits the sneaker’s fluid lines and glowing elements.
Function sits alongside expression. While the Adistar name signals performance heritage, this version targets everyday wear with comfort-forward proportions and a protective frame around the mesh body. The result feels like a gallery-ready object that still makes sense on the street, bold in silhouette, direct in purpose, and designed to catch light as much as attention after dark.
The VIRGINIA Adistar Jellyfish in orange retails for $300 at select adidas retailers and on adidas.com starting August 23. Signups open August 18 on the Confirmed App. For collectors of Pharrell’s footwear projects and for anyone drawn to concept-driven design, this drop offers a clear point of view: take a classic platform, push the form, and let the references do the talking.
