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Football legend Zinedine Zidane touched down in Dubai this weekend for a series of appearances with Adidas, but it wasn’t just his presence turning heads. Sharp-eyed attendees noticed that the French icon was wearing an unreleased Adidas performance running shoe that has yet to be officially announced, making the sighting one of the more intriguing under-the-radar moments in recent sneaker culture.
The shoe appeared publicly not once, but twice. Zidane was first seen wearing the model during a Q&A panel at the Adidas flagship store in Dubai Mall, and was spotted again later at the Adizero House of Fast pop-up at Kite Beach, both seated and in candid standing shots that have since been doing the rounds. For a shoe with no formal announcement behind it, the level of public visibility feels anything but accidental.
It’s rare to see an unreleased performance model worn so openly, let alone by someone of Zidane’s stature. Whether intentional or not, the appearance has all the hallmarks of a quietly orchestrated tease, the kind of low-key, high-impact reveal that sneaker and sport culture fans have come to read between the lines of.
Beyond the footwear, Zidane’s Dubai visit carried its own weight. During the in-store appearance at Dubai Mall, he spoke candidly about his long-standing relationship with Adidas, the cultural power of football, and what it takes for the next generation to stay disciplined and focused on their ambitions. He later spent time with the UAE’s local running and athletic community at the Adizero House of Fast, Adidas’ high-performance training hub at Kite Beach.
The combination of Zidane’s star power and the mystique of an unannounced shoe makes this one worth watching. If the appearance was a signal, a formal drop announcement may not be far off.
