The name Sporty & Rich always presents something of a conundrum for us here at Proper. Celebrating health and wealth is fine but to do so overtly via the name doesn’t sit well here in the North of England, where sportswear isn’t always worn by the most active people and being rich is something many can only aspire to.
I know, I’m looking into it far too deeply. Let’s focus on the output of the brand itself. It’s great. And despite the name, they indulge in pretty wholesome stuff around physical and mental health. So yeah, good luck to them.
The reason they popped up on the radar again recently was because they’ve channelled their founder Emily Oberg’s Swedish roots and applied them to one of the most underrated adidas Originals silhouettes of all time – the SL72.
My age means I remember 20 years ago, when a website called Argentina Soccer Mall used to knock out SL72s in some amazing colours, all seemingly legit, well-priced and plentiful in supply. This was of course a good 30 years after the shoe first introduced itself to the world via genuine sport at the Munich Olympics in 1972.
As adidas recycles its classics, it’s about time the SL72 enjoyed another season in the sun. Gazelles, Spezials, Campus, Stan Smiths, they’ve all enjoyed a somewhat orchestrated renaissance in recent years, which there’s nothing wrong with at all. It’s a testament to their timeless appeal that these iconic silhouettes continue to resonate half a century after they launched.
The Sporty & Rich treatment comes – as stated above – in Swedish colours, plus a couple of other complementary hues to form a trio of trainers probably not aimed at the gruff casuals who wore them to the pub in yesteryear. That’s also good. Gatekeeping isn’t a good thing.
Anyway, these are available from Friday 22nd here
