Two weeks ago, we predicted that the Italian sportswear brand Diadora, who had just announced a new JW Anderson collab, was about to make its biggest comeback yet. And listen, we hate to brag, but now the label has followed up with an even louder link-up: Dolce & Gabbana.
Unlike the JW Anderson drop, the D&G collection is super rowdy. Instead of introducing a brand-new silhouette, the new collab digs deep into Diadora’s archives to bring back one of its most legendary soccer models: the Brasil.
Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana
Originally launched in 1984, the Brasil has proper calcio heritage behind it, having been worn by some of the Beautiful Game’s biggest names over the decades (Ballon d’Or winners like Italy’s Roberto Baggio and the Netherlands’ Marco van Basten, to name a few). And even if you’ve never laced up for five-a-side in your entire life, there’s still something incredibly cool about the shape. Slim profile. Folded tongue. Old-school soccer energy. Right now, that’s exactly what fashion guys want.
“The collaboration between Diadora and Dolce & Gabbana celebrates a time when football stood for identity, style, and culture,” Enrico Moretti Polegato, chairman of Diadora, tells GQ. “We are shining a spotlight on an era in which sport was able to connect generations through passion and creativity.”
The collection comes in two versions: the Brasil soccer cleat itself (made for actual soccer, FYI) and the Brasil ID sneaker, which takes the same DNA and reworks it for daily wear. Both are made of nappa leather with stitched detailing across the upper for better ball control and structure. There’s also an anatomical footbed for extra cushioning, plus Diadora’s signature Softy Pro 91 sole unit underneath to keep things nice and comfy. And rather than going super clean and minimal like everyone else seems to be doing, Dolce & Gabbana is doing the most Dolce & Gabbana thing possible. Leopard-print pony hair panels run across sections of the upper, while some pairs go full beast mode entirely. It sounds ridiculous on paper, but in practice? We get it!
Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana