The brand with the three stripes structured the ZX products into two silos: one intended for training, the other for competition; the designs were then divided into color-coded models to differentiate them from each other.

The shoes thus had a numerical destination each, starting with the ZX 500 and ZX 800 in 1984 and 1986, and ending with the ZX 4000 and ZX 5000 in the late 1980s. The ZX series became synonymous with innovation, especially with the technology of the torsion cushioning system, patented by adidas.

There was another “world” unaccustomed to marathons and outdoor sports, which surprisingly began to adopt the ZXs as its “uniform,” to recognize and acknowledge itself among the followers, even in the crowd. They were the ravers from Manchester and Berlin, who found in this model the comfort, the bold and acid colors close to the rave subculture they were looking for.

As adidas Consortium’s The Product Manager, George Griffin, explained,:

“During the second summer of love (1988 and 1989) in the UK, they were holding these huge raves in warehouses in the north of England and people really wanted shoes that were comfortable all night long. Even the [ZX] colors were in tune with Acid House in the UK. I think when you look at ZXs, you always talk about colors.”