EDITOR’S NOTE: Featuring the good, the bad and the ugly, ‘Look of the Week’ is a regular series dedicated to unpacking the most talked about outfit of the last seven days.
Ever wish your dog was more patriotic, better company during soccer games and sufficiently excited for this summer’s FIFA World Cup? No? Well, Adidas is here to help anyway.
Replica jerseys have become a staple part of World Cup summers. And on Friday, the German sportswear giant released a petwear range to help dogs and their owners “celebrate their love for the game together.”
The canine versions of four jerseys featuring at this year’s tournament — those of Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Japan — come complete with the brand’s signature three-stripe shoulders and official federation badges.
The real triumph, of course, is the gloriously silly campaign shoot.
Fittingly, Adidas chose a Shiba Inu to represent Japan. But other model choices may raise eyebrows. A Pomeranian is seen throwing its diminutive weight behind Mexico (despite originating in Central Europe), a Dachshund appears to be cheering for Argentina (despite Germany’s long-standing rivalry with the South Americans) and a chocolate labrador is rooting for Colombia (why not?).
And no luck for Spanish Mastiffs, Scottish Terriers and Swedish Vallhunds, whose respective nations’ Adidas-designed jerseys can only accommodate bipedal wearers — for now, at least.
The jerseys are being made available across North America, Latin American and some Asian markets. Adidas has also released an unofficial USA-themed dog jersey, although the USMNT’s official World Cup gear is produced by arch-rival Nike, which has a long-term deal with US Soccer. Nike is yet to announce any World Cup-related pet products.
The 100% polyester garments are described by Adidas as having a “soft feel and lasting durability” to “deal easily with everything your furry friends can put it through.” Whether the range of sizes can cater to everything from a Chihuahua to a Great Dane had not been announced at the time of writing.
Retailing for $35, the jerseys are significantly cheaper than the $100 being commanded by the human replicas — or the $150 that Adidas charges for “authentic” editions that use the same high-performance materials worn by the players themselves.
A recent University of Wisconsin study found that dogs enjoy watching other dogs on television. Whether this interest extends to seeing 22 men chase a ball (fetch!) for the best part of two hours has not been subjected to academic investigation.
Adidas has recently dipped its corporate paws into the pet clothing market, which is expected to be worth $10.6 billion by 2035, according research firm Future Market Insights. The German company recently unveiled canine versions of its viral “Tang” track jackets, as they were unofficially dubbed, complete with the original garment’s distinctive Chinese-inspired knotted toggles.
Luxury labels are also vying for a slice of the dog market. For posher pooches, Ralph Lauren currently lists puffer jackets ($185), cable-knit cashmere sweaters ($225) and canvas raincoats ($225). Since 2019, a California-based parody dog fashion magazine, Dogue, has offered readers glossy spreads of dolled-up doggies — although Vogue publisher Condé Nast has recently filed a lawsuit against the publication, arguing that the magazine “obviously intended” to confuse readers and was “likely to damage Condé Nast irreparably.”
