Adidas x Molly Mae: 3 stripes or 3 strikes?
Credit @MollyMae Instagram
2026 started off with arguably some of the most unexpected brand news we will get - Adidas x Molly Mae.
From the minute the announcement dropped, the internet buzzed (see The Tab vs The Sole Supplier). Outlets rushed to their social channels to post the news, whilst mutuals shared to their stories to either celebrate, question or ridicule. Now this is not surprising. There aren't many collaborations that receive a sweeping response of praise, but what’s interesting to note is the depth of the criticism. There have been calls that the brand ‘selling out’, with takes that it may have gone so far as to betray its community and the level of trust and respect it had.
On one hand, the partnership could be coined a commercial genius. Molly Mae has a profile, personal brand, and loyal fan base, which is incredibly difficult to build in the now-oversaturated influencer landscape. Her feature on the 2019 Love Island series most definitely catapulted her into the public eye, but the grind and strategy behind her turning that 15 minutes of fame into an 8.5m mega following, a successful clothing brand and leveraging a Creative Director position at Pretty Little Thing - a key retailer for her target audience - is something that can only be applauded.
The collection is likely going to sell out and seems like a bigger ploy to speak directly to a younger, more lifestyle-leaning audience than a sports & culture-leaning one. On paper, it makes sense.
However, what may have been overlooked or simply seen as mere collateral is the impact this would have on Adidas’ long-standing community, which holds the brand and its values in high regard. As deep dives reveal Mae only sporting Adidas on her IG if it’s paid and BTS clips unveil ‘cringe’ brand meetings with Molly Mae discussing the collection and its’ colourway energy’, alignment has been questioned, and credibility may be harmed.
For a brand that has worked tirelessly to repair its relationship with the sneaker community, Adidas has barely placed a toe out of line in recent years with banger after banger of campaigns (including last year's stellar ‘This is Superstar’ rollout) and getting back to its roots. Investment in athletes and culture leaders has certainly helped them rebuild the cultural currency that some argued had dwindled.
Love it or hate it, the partnership has sparked in-depth and emotive discourse on both sides of the discussion. With a new collaboration dropping every 5 minutes this is rare and exciting to see the community come together in such a way that was only really prevalent pre-COVID. If the goal was to sell out a collection and start conversations they have more than succeeded. If it was to build the brand's authenticity and cultural currency, we’ll have to see where they stand once the dust settles.