Basketball pro Donovan Mitchell with new Adidas Haribo sneaker

Colourful and bouncy is a good way to describe gummy bears. And these attributes should also apply to the new sneakers from the signature line of Cleveland Cavalier basketball player Donovan Mitchell. The playful colour versions of the DON Issue #6 sneakers, which are set to be released in mid-October 2024, are reportedly available in two colourful variants: one in light pastel shades and one in bright red.

The flexible upper, responsive midsole and herringbone-textured outsole are designed to hint at the carefree, playful nature of the professional basketball player while emphasising the speed and intensity of the game, as sneaker portal Nice Kicks writes.

The collaboration is not only reflected in the colour scheme, but also on the insole, from which the cheerful Haribo logo in the shape of a golden bear beckons. The Haribo lettering is emblazoned on the transparent outsole, which looks like rubber candy. Even the packaging is reminiscent of a Haribo Gold Bear cone.

It is to be expected that the shoes will give the brands a further boost in popularity. According to a Horizont article, Adidas and Haribo were already the brands with the most popular advertising in Germany in 2024. In other countries, Adidas wants to invest more in the brand's popularity, according to a Marketing Week report.

The combination of gummy bears and sport has a long tradition

As a sportswoman and self-confessed Haribo fan, gummy bears and sport go hand in hand for me. In my youth, the sweets were my favourite way of giving myself the energy boost I needed between the heats, semi-finals and finals. Sports gels and drinks came later.

Donovan's love of Haribo sweets is not entirely new either. In an Instagram post, the basketball pro says he's loved gummy bears his whole life, eating them during school and game breaks. His DON Issue #2 sneakers from 2020 were already a tribute to the Golden Bears, at least in terms of colour, even if there was no official collaboration at the time.

Puma has also already teamed up with Haribo

There is therefore a certain logic to the collaboration and it is not the first time the confectionery manufacturer has worked with a sportswear manufacturer. In 2021, Puma presented a Haribo collection consisting of shoes and sportswear.

With so much gummy bear look and feel, I could almost become a collector of the colourful sneakers. Unfortunately, as the Adidas shoes will probably only be available at selected retailers, my chances are not particularly good.

However, I don't have to do without gummy bears and gummy bear objects. Here is a small selection from our range:

Sweets + chewing gum

Haribo Bear

150 pcs., 1200 g

6

Fiction

EUR12,–

The gummy bear oracle

German, Dietmar Bittrich, 1998

1

Night lights

Egmont Gummy bear

Sweets + chewing gum

Haribo Bear

150 pcs., 1200 g

6

Fiction

EUR12,–

The gummy bear oracle

German, Dietmar Bittrich, 1998

1

Night lights

Egmont Gummy bear