Two people scaled the Empire State Building on July 2nd, and one of them did it in Adidas Adifom Climacools. Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus climbed to the top of the building's 1,454-foot spire without ropes or safety equipment.
Beerkus wore the cream and black Adifom Climacool during the unauthorized climb. The shoe's open-cage EVA construction made it a surprising choice for that kind of ascent.
Once at the top, the couple unfurled a large banner reading "When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace." Beerkus then proposed to Nikolau before the two began their descent.
NYPD officers met them down and placed both into custody. The pair now faces multiple charges including burglary and reckless endangerment.
Nikolau and Beerkus are known internationally for scaling skyscrapers. They were the subjects of Netflix's 2024 documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, which followed a similar high-rise climb in Kuala Lumpur.
The sneaker community picked up on Beerkus's footwear choice quickly after the story broke. The Adifom Climacool is primarily a lifestyle shoe with a molded EVA shell. It wasn't designed for building climbs, which made the detail stand out further. Both were released on supervised release after their Thursday arraignment.
Ivan Beerkus Wears Adidas Climacool
The Adidas Adifom Climacool first released as a lifestyle shoe built around a single-piece EVA shell. Its open cage design references the original Climacool running line from the early 2000s. The shoe sits on a chunky midsole and uses a removable inner sock for comfort. None of that was designed with rooftop climbing in mind.
Beerkus wore the cream and black colorway, which pairs a light outer shell with a dark inner bootie. That contrast between the two parts of the shoe is one of its defining design details. The shoe has built a following as a bold, unconventional lifestyle choice. Its appearance on the Empire State Building spire adds an unusual chapter to that story.
Nikolau and Beerkus entered the building the night before and hid overnight before making their climb. Investigators confirmed they accessed the top through a 102nd-floor maintenance hatch.
