The adidas Originals' Consortium platform is the most coveted collaboration programme adidas runs, and Indian design had barely had a look in until now. In a first, the brains behind Limited Edt India, Neha Tandon recently added another sneaker to their catalogue. They were given one of the most recognisable silhouettes in the world, the Adidas Superstar, and were asked to make it Indian. That's not a small ask, and it's not an opportunity that comes around often.
The result is the Superstar Consortium, Made in India, limited to 350 individually numbered pairs. The peacock motif, the vine work pulled from centuries-old havelis, the gold jewellery-inspired hardware, even the matchbox-style box that nods to the ritual of lighting the first flame, everything about this is very Indian and fresh.
What made the timing even better is that this launch happened alongside Limited Edt's new store at DLF Summit Plaza in Gurugram, with a speakeasy called Stockroom tucked inside it that they promise Gurugram hasn't seen anything quite like. We spoke with Neha about the new Indian design, the identity built around the box, the new Gurugram store, and what's next for Limited Edt.
On Drawing India's Identity onto a Global Icon
‘For me, the inspiration came less from one particular city or craft tradition and more from my relationship with India as someone who grew up in Singapore. I've always experienced India through a mix of memories, visits, colours, textures, architecture, and the little details that feel instantly familiar even when you've grown up away from them.
With the Superstar, we wanted to translate that feeling rather than make the shoe a literal representation of India. The peacock and vine-inspired detailing, for example, draws from traditional Indian visual language, while the richer tones and craftsmanship bring in that sense of ornamentation and detail that you often see across Indian culture.
The idea was to take something as iconic and globally recognisable as the Superstar and give it an Indian point of view without losing what makes the silhouette itself so timeless. For me, that is what Indian identity feels like. It isn't one colour, one place or one tradition. It's a collection of influences, memories and details that come together to create something that feels uniquely your own.’
On Why The Superstar, of all Silhouettes
‘The Superstar felt like the natural choice because it's one of those silhouettes that needs no introduction. It has such a strong cultural history and has been interpreted by so many different communities around the world, so we saw an opportunity to add a distinctly Indian perspective to something that is already globally iconic. For me, the idea wasn't to change what makes the Superstar recognisable, but to build on it.
We wanted to respect its classic DNA while bringing in elements that felt connected to India through the detailing, craftsmanship and storytelling around the shoe and its packaging. It felt like a great way to show that a classic can continue to evolve, and that Indian design and craftsmanship can have a place within a silhouette with such a strong global legacy.’
An Entire Identity Around The Drop
‘From the beginning, we knew we didn't want the identity to stop at the sneaker. If we were going to tell an Indian story, every touchpoint had to feel intentional and connected. The matchbox-inspired packaging came from a very familiar part of Indian celebrations. The idea of the drop was rooted in celebration, and across Indian celebrations, the lighting of a diya or a lamp is such a simple yet meaningful ritual. And before you light a diya, you need that first spark, a matchstick. That became the thought behind the matchbox.
We loved the idea that the matchbox could represent that initial spark, the moment an idea comes to life and becomes something worth celebrating. From there, we carried that storytelling through the socks, the threadwork, the charm and the other details of the shoe. A big part of our conversations was about taking these familiar Indian references and translating them in a contemporary way, rather than making them feel overly literal. We wanted every element to have a reason for being there, so that when you open the box, you're not just seeing a sneaker, you're discovering a story. For us, it was really about creating a complete identity around the drop, where the sneaker, packaging and every small detail come together to celebrate Indian craftsmanship and culture through a modern, global lens.’
The New Store
‘The DLF Summit Plaza store was an opportunity to do something we hadn't fully done before in India, build a space that felt like it had its own point of view. With Limited Edt, the product has always spoken for itself, but with this flagship we wanted the environment to carry that same weight. The brief internally was always: it should feel considered, not decorated. Every surface, every fixture, every corner, there's a reason it's there. We took a lot of cues from the cultures that surround the product we carry. Sneaker culture at its best is about discovery, about finding something before everyone else does, about knowing. We wanted the store to feel like that.
On the speakeasy, that came from a very honest question we asked ourselves: what happens after someone buys a pair? What's the fuller experience we can offer? Stockroom is our answer to that. It sits within the store, but it has its own world entirely. The concept is built around discovery in the same way the store is, it's not something you stumble into by accident, and that's intentional. The design language draws from the idea of a real stockroom: layered, slightly raw, full of details that reward the people who notice them. Warm lighting, hidden moments, nothing that screams for attention. The food and drinks follow the same philosophy, familiar in a way that surprises you. We're not ready to say too much more about it just yet, but it opens very soon and I think it's going to be something Gurugram hasn't quite seen before in this format.’
The Future
‘Over the next five years, our focus is on building Limited Edt's presence across India in a very considered way. We see a strong opportunity to expand beyond the metro cities and enter more Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities, where the sneaker and streetwear culture is growing rapidly.
Words Hansika Lohani
Date 17.9.2026