The definitive guide on how to buy the LEGO x Adidas ZX 8000

I never thought my other interest (yes, I have other hobbies outside of LEGO) would ever come in handy but here we are – 2 days out from the highly anticipated launch of the LEGO x Adidas ZX 8000 (product code: FZ3482)

Update: Check out my review of the LEGO Adidas ZX 8000 to see more photos and watch me unbox the pair.

If you couldn’t guess it from my enthusiasm of the Adidas LEGO collaboration from my recent posts – I’m a bit of a sneakerhead, and this collaboration is extra special to me as I’m first and foremost an Adidas guy and have been since I was a teenager.

The Adidas x LEGO ZX 8000 releases worldwide on 25 September and retails in the US for US$130 or AU$190 here in Australia.

Unfortunately… buying limited edition sneakers isn’t as straight-forward as you may think – you’re going to either need to put in the work, or get lucky.

The LEGO Adidas ZX 8000 is part of Adidas’s A-ZX series, a celebration of one of Adidas’ most iconic runners – the Adidas ZX which was released in 1984 as a high performance running shoe, introducing the arch-supporting Torsion bar (which is still in use today in modern silhouettes such as the Ultraboost).

It’s not THE most popular silhouette, but through this series of collaborations with a whole raft of brands/creators, Adidas is hoping to reignite interest in its ZX series as it celebrates its heritage.

If you’d like to read more about the A-ZX collection, and the history behind the silhouette – this Hypebeast article is great.

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Okay, so before we get into the buying guide and release details, there are some things I’d like to make super clear. If you were thinking of getting a pair of LEGO ZX 8000s, you need to decide NOW, and prepare accordingly.

I’m not trying to scare you or anything, but getting your hands on coveted sneakers is a monstrous pain, so I just want to manage your expectations.

1. You are most likely not going to get a pair
2. You might end up with multiple pairs
3. You will get frustrated and rage when you miss out
4. If you really want them, expect to pay more than RRP through the resell market
5. You will need to put in a lot of effort to get them
6. Unless you’re lucky enough to live close to a well-stocked sneaker boutique, you may not be able to walk into a store and try them on before buying.

Now that the ground rules are set, here’s a brief overview of how limited edition sneakers are usually obtained.

Raffles – You enter your details into a ballot for the opportunity to buy the shoes. It’s all luck-based, and there’s no guarantee of winning.

First-come first-serve – FCFS as they’re known with sneakerheads is when the sneakers drop on websites or in-store, and they will sell them until they run out.

Backdoor – if you’re lucky enough to know the right people, or know people that know people (also known as a plug), you may already have your pair secured “through the backdoor”. This is when stores bypass these first two channels and sell/give away these sneakers to priority/VIP customers/owner’s son’s best friend etc. Yes, it’s exactly as unfair as it sounds, but it does happen.

The good news is that these sneakers will be released through a variety of sneaker boutiques/shops, many of which ship globally, so they won’t just be available exclusively from the Adidas website.

Here’s a breakdown by raffle or FCFS of stores that I follow, and what I know of. Pricing will vary, usually depending on where the stores are located

Raffles (pricing will vary and may or may not include shipping)

Important Note: Raffle results aren’t guaranteed, and most will debit your credit card/payment method if you’re successful. This means, if you enter a whole bunch of raffles, and somehow win them all, you’ll get a whole bunch of sneakers showing up at your front door. Please be mindful before signing up.

Adidas [US/Western Europe] (US$130/£99.95/€126,68) – Sign up via the Adidas app (Android / Apple). Winners will be drawn automatically on September 25, 10am local time

End Clothing [global shipping] – Raffle link

Up There [Australia] – Raffle link

Footshop [global] – Raffle link

Hanon [global] – Raffle link

AsphaltGold [global] – Instagram Raffle

Feature [global] – Raffle link

SVD [global] – Raffle via app

Stay Rooted [global] – Raffle link

Limited Edt [Singapore] – Raffle information (members only)

First Come First Serve

Stay Rooted [US Shipping] – product page a few sizes still available!

Bait [global shipping] – product page – few small sizes left

Adidas Australia & Rest of World – product page (AU) (Friday, 25 September, 12:00am AEST). Check your local Adidas website and search using the product code: FZ3482 for local times.

Subtype [Australia shipping] – product page (Friday, 25 September 9:00am AEST)

Highs and Lows [global shipping] – product page (Friday, 25 September 8:00am AWST)

Above The Clouds [global shipping] – product page (Friday, 25 September 00:01am AEST)

43einhalb [global shipping] – product page (Friday, 25 September | Online: 00:01 CEST. | Instore: Frankfurt & Fulda)

Overkill [Global shipping] – Product Page (Friday, September 25, 2020 12:00:00 AM Europe/Berlin CET. Remaining Stock 11am CET Instore Release)

Nakedcph [global shipping] – product page (September 25th 00:00 CEST)

BSTN [global shipping] – product page (September 25th, 00:01 CEST / 6 PM ET )

Sneakersnstuff [global shipping] – product page (September 25th, 00:01 CEST )

Bodega [US + global shipping] – product page (September 25th EST, 10am)

Solebox [global shipping] – product page

Offspring [global shipping] – product page and timing TBC

The Hip Store [global shipping] – product page and timing TBC

Slam Jam [global shipping] – product page and timing TBC

Kith [global shipping] – product page and timing TBC

Limited Edt [Singapore] – instore/online (September 25th, 11am SGT)

LEGO.com VIP Redemption/Raffle

Okay, this is a weird one, as you can redeem for a buttload of VIP points, OR enter a raffle using VIP points to redeem ticket.

LEGO.com:

• The A-ZX800 LEGO® Sneakers will be available on LEGO.com in a very limited run and only through one of these two options in select markets:
  • VIP FIXED POINT REDEMPTION – redeem 15,600 VIP points to get the sneakers, providing your size is still available
    • (Applicable in all EU regions and USA)
    • Starts September 25
  • SWEEPSTAKES – enter the VIP Sweepstakes and redeem 50 VIP points per entry, with maximum 15 entries for a chance to win the sneakers in your size
  • If you are not a LEGO VIP member, can you sign up and get your first entry free and enter this competition
    • (Applicable only in these markets: USA, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia, Sweden, United Kingdom)
    • Starts September 25

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All right, I think I’ve gotten all the ones I know of. Obviously, these are most of the products that are available via online stores – some local sneaker boutiques may have in-store releases, or whatnot, but this is what I know so far.

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So you really want a pair? If you really, absolutely want a pair, I’d suggest entering as many raffles as you can , and also setting alarms and reminders for the First-Come-First Served sites.

I’m not 100% sure what the numbers on these sneakers are, but they will be fairly limited, and if you have small or large feet, I’d enter as many raffles as those sizes are usually produced with lower numbers. Sizes US9-10 are the most common.

You can also increase your chances by asking your friend, or spouses to sign up with their emails/payment details but remember, there is a chance that you could win more than one pair and be out a couple of hundred dollars.

Make sure to refer to Adidas Size Charts to get a gauge of what your shoe sizes are, and if in doubt, go half a size up. Adidas ZX 8000 should fit TTS (true to size). If you can, go into a sneaker store to try other ZX 8000 models to find out what your size is.

Sneaker sizing can be a little iffy across brands, so just because you’re a US7 in Nike or New Balance might not necessarily mean you’re a US7 in Adidas.

To set you up for success for First Come First Served stores, I recommend creating accounts on those sites (with address and payment details prefilled) or use a chrome extension to save your details so you can check out as quickly as possible.

They will likely sell out really quickly (minutes in some cases), as these are one of the most popular A-ZX models, and there are a TON of LEGO fans looking to get their hands on these.

It’s been a little hard to get a read on how popular these shoes will be – hypebeast trend-chasing sneakerheads will probably pass on these (as Adidas aren’t that trendy amongst sneakerheads in 2020), but resellers might jump on to make a quick buck.

Then again, I could be spectacularly wrong, and these sneakers could sit on store shelves and be available for weeks as no one wants them, or LEGO and Adidas made an absolute ton. It’s hard to say for sure.

Which brings me to… the Resell Market

So if you lose all the raffles, and miss out on FCFS stores, are you completely out of luck? Not quite.

The resell market in sneakers is part and parcel of the hobby, and is estimated to be worth, wait for it – US$6 billion.

If you detest LEGO resellers and those making a quick buck on sold out sets, sneaker resellers are on a whole other level, and for the most part… provide a valuable (if hated) service to sneaker collectors.

It’s very common (and acceptable) for sneaker collectors to buy sneakers with the whole intention of flipping them.

You can make some lunch money, or if you’re lucky enough to cop highly coveted pairs (like the Nike Chunky Dunkys), you can instantly 10x your initial investment.

Reselling and paying resale market prices for sneakers is an absolutely acceptable part of the hobby.

If you desperately want to go down that route, be prepared to pay a premium for the LEGO Adidas Sneakers. I recommend only shopping from established marketplaces like GOAT or Stockx.

Initially, based on the overall performance of the A-ZX collection, I was expecting these to be fairly easy to acquire, but with all the buzz created by LEGO, and resellers potentially catching wind that there may be profits here selling to LEGO fans, it’s probably going to be a lot more competitive than I had assumed.

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Looking at the Stockx prices (used by the community as a proxy on how sneakers are valued), it does seem like people are paying close to double the retail value for the LEGO Adidas ZX 8000.

Naturally, upon release, these prices usually dip and is contingent on how many pairs are actually available, and what the demand for them is like on launch day.

The best time to buy on the resell market is about a week after launch when resellers start receiving and unloading their pairs to make a quick buck.

Oh, and finally, two bits of trivia about the parallels of sneaker culture and LEGO that made me chuckle.

1. The letter “L” in the A-ZX campaign is assigned to LEGO. In sneaker lingo, when you miss out on sneakers, or lose a raffle, it’s known as “taking an L” – which is short for taking a loss.
2. Sneakers that have poor resale value, that no one wants are known as “bricks”. While this design is inspired by LEGO bricks, these will in no way be bricks.

Oh, and because I’ve taken a few questions on this – unless you were a celebrity like Jonah Hill or sneaker royalty Sean Weatherspoon, you won’t be getting the special LEGO shoebox.

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So there you have it, the most detailed guide I can write to help you cop the LEGO x Adidas ZX 8000!

If you’re going for these sneakers, I wish you the best of luck, and hope that everyone who wants to get them will get their hands on a pair!

There is absolutely going to be drama from LEGO fans who are walking into this thinking it’ll be a simple touch and go experience.

A lot of people are going to learn first-hand just how frustrating sneaker collecting is, and I am looking forward to seeing how the AFOLs react to this.

I hope this guide helps, especially for those that want to really get the shoes, and I want to do everything in my power to help you buy them for retail, and not overpay a reseller.

I’ve thought long and hard about the best way to do so without spamming people on my subscriber list and Facebook page, so I’ve decided to create a group on Facebook where I’ll be posting links and updates to the sneakers as they go online.

You can request access to the group and I’ll try my best to use my experience to help, as well as discuss this drop and share any successes.

Oh and if I’ve missed out on any shops, or links, please feel free to leave them in the comments and I’ll update this post when I can!

Good luck, and feel free to leave a question in the comments if none of this makes sense!