Pokémon is turning 30 in 2026, and the anniversary is playing out as much on runways, sneaker walls and handbag straps as it is in the games and trading cards that built the franchise. Thirty years after Pokémon Red and Green first launched in Japan on February 27, 1996, a wave of fashion and accessory collaborations tied to the milestone is giving the property a genuine moment in the style conversation, one that leans heavily on the same collectible-charm impulse that has made Labubu and bag charms a broader accessory trend this year.
The most fashion-forward of the anniversary tie-ins is adidas Originals' Pokémon x adidas 30th Anniversary Collection, which officially launched in Japan on September 15 under the "ADIDAS | POKÉMON" name, with a wider international rollout at adidas.com and select retailers to follow. The collection spans more than a dozen footwear styles built across classic adidas silhouettes, including the Superstar, Samba, ZX 8000, Pro Model and Adistar XLG 2.0, each reworked around a specific Pokémon.
Pokémon x adidas Originals 30th Anniversary Collection Drops Sept. 22 ⚡️⚡️ pic.twitter.com/C5TmSOk5Az
— House of Heat° (@houseofheat) September 13, 2026
Pikachu appears in three Superstar and Pro Model versions with fuzzy yellow textures and Poké Ball lace details, while the Charmander-to-Charizard evolutionary line lands on the Superstar and Ghost-types Gastly, Haunter and Gengar take over the Adistar range. Mewtwo gets a trio of its own across the Handball Spezial, Samba and ZX 8000, and Rayquaza appears on the Megaride. On the apparel side, a set of $280 leather-look varsity jackets inspired by Pikachu, Charizard and Gengar, complete with chenille graphics, Poké Ball patches and adidas Trefoil branding, is already available through DICK'S Sporting Goods ahead of the broader collection.
Adidas is far from the only label leaning into the anniversary. Uniqlo's UT line has released a Pokémon collection featuring original video-game artwork of Pikachu, Charizard, Gengar and Snorlax across kids' and adults' sizing, while sister brand GU has put out an outdoor-inspired capsule featuring Pikachu, Eevee, Mew, Gengar, Charizard and Snorlax. Crocs has reworked its Classic Clog into a full Poké Ball design, and sock brand Stance, which previously sold out a starter-Pokémon crew sock collection, is releasing a new limited-edition set on September 24.
UNIQLO will be celebrating Pokémon's 30th anniversary with clothes featuring Pokémon artwork from the series' beginning! Hopefully we'll see a release outside of Japan! 👕 pic.twitter.com/ai5lk1aMMi
— PokéJungle 🌱 Pokémon news for games, merch & more (@pokejungle) December 22, 2025
Where the anniversary most directly intersects with this year's broader accessory trends is in Pokémon Center's own charm and plush releases. The retailer's Pikachu 1996 Style Plush and matching keychain, styled after Pikachu's pixelated, grayscale appearance in the original Game Boy games, sold out quickly in the U.S. and Australia after launching this year, with the keychain version designed specifically to clip onto a bag, backpack or lanyard. Pokémon Center Japan also released a gold-toned "PikaPika! Pikachu" plush and charm in March to mark the anniversary, and Takara Tomy's toy brand T-ARTS put out a seven-style Pokémon 30th Anniversary Metal Charm gashapon line the same month, featuring the original Kanto starters and their evolutions alongside Pikachu.
Individually, none of these releases would be unusual for a franchise with Pokémon's licensing footprint. Collectively, they place Pokémon squarely inside a fashion moment already defined by bag charms and collectible plush, where a keychain clipped to a tote or a metal charm on a zipper pull carries as much visual signaling as the bag itself. For a franchise built on collecting, that overlap between fandom and fashion accessory culture may be the most natural extension of its anniversary year yet.
