In an exclusive interview with Abel to Do Anything YouTube channel, Korn’s Brian Welch revealed the story of the band’s recent collaboration with Adidas.
When asked about how their partnership with Adidas came about, the guitarist replied:
“That’s a dream come true. Our singer, mainly all of us, wore Adidas, but we wanted to do a deal with Adidas in 1997. We approached them, and they said no. So, if you know anything about the history of Adidas and Puma, there are two brothers, they split, and one of the brothers started Puma; way back years ago when I was a kid, maybe. So we went to Puma when Adidas said no, and they gave us money and free clothes.”
Adidas’ Shift In Perspective
When the interviewer interrupted to say that it must have made Adidas pretty upset, Welch continued:
“Hopefully, but new owners, new employees, everything all these years later… They actually approached us. So what happened was some fans, they’re teenagers into Korn. They grew up, went into that industry, got a job at Adidas, and pitched Korn to Adidas for a few years. They turned it down for a little bit and then finally they said yes. That’s like a dream come true.”
Korn X Adidas Originals Collection Launch
Korn announced their collaboration with Adidas, inspired by the band’s 1996 album ‘Life Is Peachy,’ last month with a statement on their Instagram, saying:
“We’re thrilled to officially announce our Korn x Adidas Originals collaboration, launching October 27. This first collection is inspired by the iconic album, ‘Life Is Peachy,’ celebrating the way Korn has blurred the lines between music, culture, and fashion.”
Fan Discontent With The Collaboration
Although it was a dream come true for the band members, their Adidas partnership faced backlash from the fans. When they registered on the Adidas app, they discovered they had to enter a raffle to have the chance to buy the item. If they were chosen in the draw, they would be informed and allowed to go ahead with the purchase. It left some fans upset with the ordering process, as one of them wrote:
“Ugh, it’s a draw. There is no guarantee you can get your hands on the items.”
The first official collection from the Korn and Adidas Originals partnership was released on October 27. It has two t-shirts with designs, a hoodie, and two types of Adidas Originals tracksuits, one with purple sequins. The collection also includes versions of the heavy-duty Campus 00s shoe and the Supermodified sneaker, customized with special insoles, laces, and a guitar pick keychain.
You can watch Welch’s full interview below.
