The Brand with the Three Stripes isn't synonymous with U.S. football (yet), but it's been making strides on the gridiron over the last handful of years thanks to key signings of Patrick Mahomes, Garrett Wilson, Micah Parsons, and Travis Hunter.
If you followed the National Football League (NFL) throughout the 1990s, however, you'll know Adidas branding on-field isn't something new. Before Reebok and Nike ever became exclusive outfitters of the League's franchises, the Three Stripes had rights over select teams—including the New York Jets. While not as imaginative as its kits for football clubs like Arsenal and Real Madrid, the uniforms from 1995-2001 proved the brand's ability to make performance products for elite-level athletes. The partnership also allowed Adidas to develop a relationship with Keyshawn Johnson, a one-time SuperBowl champion drafted number one by the Jets in 1996. With the wide receiver on its side, the German sportswear juggernaut replanted its presence within the competitive space of U.S. football while showcasing performance prowess through a signature series for the Los Angeles-native.
Johnson wouldn't win the NFL's grandest prize until 2003 while with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he received a number of athlete-specific footwear styles while on the Jets squad. Prior to introducing the Key Trainer silhouette in 1996, the former USC Trojan helped promote the Adidas EQT (Equipment) line and Feet You Wear (FYW) technology. Both part of the brand's concerted effort to innovate on performance fronts, the platforms came together on Johnson's own designs, promising him and his fans shoes that would help them reach their best.
In 1998, the Three Stripes introduced the Adidas GameSpeed to market, a model built to handle explosive movements through a (relatively) lightweight package. Designed by Shane Ward, who went on the develop the Adidas Intimidation a year later, the GameSpeed, according to the designer, utilized the purest form of Feet Your Wear tech, a crucial achievement given Johnson's game. Laces were hidden to prevent untangling while on the move and to tap into aerodynamics. Semi-translucent rubber traction underfoot allowed for AdiPRENE+ cushioning and a Torsion stability system to be visible, peeling back the curtain on a genre-pushing proposal from the late '90s.
Thanks to e-commerce shots obtained by Elden Monitors, House of Heat° can confirm the GameSpeed will return in its original "Cloud White/Zero Metallic/Power Blue" color scheme over the next year. A thorough inspection of the retro, however, reveals a number of minor changes across Ward's design.
Adidas Equipment branding is removed from the lateral heel and outsole, although it lands on the neon-colored footbeds. Performance-related branding is also omitted on the medial quarter-panel. The shape and materials found on the impending reissue faithfully nod to '98, as did an Adidas Originals retro of the Key Trainer in 2014.
The brand's rumored revival of the late Kobe Bryant's KB8 III and ongoing push of the Intimidation suggests 2026 will be a big year for Feet You Wear-assisted footwear from the past. Johnson's GameSpeed will form part of this effort and may be expected in other color schemes.
Enjoy official photos of the GameSpeed OG ahead. Pairs should release via Adidas.com by May 2026 for around $180.
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