The adidas Ultraboost 19 'Bat Orchid' Artworks Revealed

The other day we could lift the veil on the brand new colorway of the new adidas Ultraboost 19 which is the next step in the developments of adidas running flagship shoe. Named ‘Bat Orchid’, from the beautiful tropical flower of the same name, the limited-edition colorway is the final to be released and has been designed with the female runner in mind, with also male edition, both available via our partnership with SUEDE Store. To launch the adidas Ultraboost 19 Bat Orchid, four digital art makers gave life exclusively to Suede Store to create special artworks that portray the four main features of the shoe through different styles and visuals. You can take a look at the artworks created for the launch of the shoe below and online at SUEDE Store, or you can admire the artworks of the digital art makers at the two SUEDE Store locations in Rome, in Via degli Zingari 58 e Via dei Serpenti 127, starting from today, February 1st.

Yaser Ahmady
@yaser.ahmady

Sneaker features:

Optimized BOOST

Primeknit 360

The first artwork’s about the Primeknit feature is all about being comfy so I imagined what’s comfortable for me and apparently, that’s being surrounded by squishy iridescent pink bean bags in a womb-like situation. You know your boy’s favorite color is pink but it would be holographic if that was a color.

I’ve been playing some Rocket League, the hot wheels soccer car game, and when your car goes super fast you get those colorful trail boosts. The Bat Orchid’s Optimized Boost feature is all about ultraboosting your foot while you run so the connection was already in my mind: iridescent plasma boost for your feet.

Madelaine Buttini
@madbutt

Sneaker features:
Optimized BOOST
Primeknit 360

I really wanted to highlight the complexity and intricacy of the weaved knit seen on the shoe, as seen in the background. I used an orchid as the focal point of the shoe to express how soft the shoe feels around your feet.

I had a lot of fun creating this work! I want to shoe to feel elevated and heavenly, almost like you could boost yourself beyond the clouds! Wearing these shoes is like walking on sunshine -- opulent and gentle!

Camilla Falsini
@camillafalsini

Sneaker features:
3D Heel Frame
Tuned Torsion Spring

To represent two of the four characteristics related to the shoe, I was inspired by the animal world, so the forward motion took the form of a cheetah, which in nature symbolizes the speed for the extraordinary power of its forward motion.

While the animal that best embodied the adaptability and support was certainly the chameleon, able to adapt to the surrounding environment and is also famous for the grip of its legs on branches. The tables are constructed in a mirror-like manner and in both, in addition to the represented animal, there is the bat orchid from which the shoe takes its name.

Patrick Foley
@patrick_4d

Sneaker features:
3D Heel Frame
Tuned Torsion Spring

The inspiration for this piece was in the name. The Tuned Torsion Spring had benefits to the shoe that I wanted to consider. The easiest, most practical, and most eye-catching way I wanted to illustrate this, was by creating a hyper-realistic spring facing the actual Tuned Torsion Spring of the shoe. This not only exaggerated the feature, but really created a middle ground to tie in the shoe's artwork, with my more natural style of inflated geometry which in this case, were the spheres in the background.

While creating these artworks for the Bat Orchid Women's shoe, I was asked to illustrate and promote the feature known as the 3d Heel Frame which gave max support to the person wearing the shoe. The word that stuck out to me was support. So I needed to find a way to illustrate how durable and supportive this feature was. I ended up meshing my style with the needs of the shoe by creating abstract metallic beams of different vibrant colors, blasting through the scene. As you can see, each beam successfully blasts through the frame, except for one. The one that was stopped and corroded by the architectural strength of the shoe. So blending the practicality of showing the heel's strength with the assortment of abstract elements and textures, I was able to find a nice middle ground.

The pre-research phase for the UB19 has been immense, gathering real-life practical information on how to push a running shoe further, gathering data from thousands of runners in the field. The result streamlined the design process from 17 pieces down to 4 key elements, the Tuned Torsion Spring System, the Boost sole, the 3D Heel frame, and finally the prime knit 360 upper. The Torsion Spring is the main player, introduced in 1988, the adidas Torsion system is a thermoplastic arch support designed to allow the forefoot and rearfoot to move independently and adapt to running surfaces without straining the foot through excess motion, allowing the midfoot to naturally adjust to the ground and offering high levels of support and stability which are suitable for a range of sports.

Next the Optimized BOOST midsole, which is adidas’ main cushioning system, which implements what is called an energy return system, especially thanks to 20% more BOOST.

The newly developed 3D Heel Frame was created to give more support around the ankle, bringing the perfect mix of adaptability and support.

Finaly the Primeknit 360 upper has both high utilitarian and aesthetic qualities. The completely seamless upper feels like a second skin, surrounding the foot in a fused yarn that combines pure comfort with lightweight performance.