APB and adidas turn Powerphase into a skate-ready Puff pack

APB and adidas did more than rerun a retro runner here. They took the late-’80s Powerphase, a shoe adidas says first hit in 1987 as a training model, and pushed it into skate territory with the Powerphase Puff, a bulked-up take built around an oversized tongue, padded collar and a heavier, more board-ready stance. The pack landed June 20 through APB retail for $150, and the whole rollout was wired to Go Skate Day energy instead of pure archive nostalgia.

The design conversion is the story. APB’s build leans on a suede upper with perforated toe box and side panels, front lacing, a branded stamp below the eyelet panel, and a composite foam-and-rubber midsole with a rubber outsole. That mix gives the shoe more flesh than a standard terrace or training revival. The tongue is the loudest move, puffed up and exaggerated in a way that clearly borrows from chunky skate silhouettes, while the padded collar and layered suede, mesh and leather details give the shoe enough volume to feel intentional rather than merely padded. APB’s own label for the project, Do Not Duplicate Powerphase Puff Go Skate Day, says exactly what this is trying to be.

Still, there’s a real difference between skate-first and skate-flavored. adidas frames the original Powerphase as a retro ’80s model that is no longer made for working out and now returns in premium materials, paying homage to its sports heritage. That heritage matters, but the Puff version has to earn its place on the street. The extra padding and tougher upper help, and the silhouette lands closer to skate footwear than a clean lifestyle reissue, but this is still a remix of a training shoe, not a purpose-built pro model. The edge comes from how aggressively APB remodeled the upper and profile, not from any attempt to hide the source material.

APB pushed the collaboration in beige, grey and brown, all priced at $150, which keeps the drop in that sweet spot between accessible and properly considered. The release came with a June 16 to June 18 EQL draw window and was followed by the APB x Revamp Skate Tournament on June 21 at APB’s Charlotte, North Carolina location, complete with cash prizes, food and a community skate meet-up tied to Go Skate Day festivities. That pairing makes the whole release feel less like a product launch and more like an actual scene play. The Powerphase Puff works because it understands the assignment: take an archive shape, thicken the attitude, and make it look like it belongs under a grip-tape scar.