Ten years after taking its first tentative trefoil steps, adidas Spezial celebrates a decade in the game with a continuation of the formula that has served it so well.
As ever the range wrestles with the past in a way that makes sense in the present and indeed future. The design classics never age and in adidas, there’s a DNA from which to extract new from old.
The footwear offering features seven unique silhouettes and an array of apparel and accessories that instantly transport you from the football terraces of the UK to the sun terraces of Southern France.
It’s a mature and muted range in comparison to some we’ve seen before, with the Mod Trefoil continuing in its starring role, alongside seven shoes that eschew statement-making bright colours and instead stick to the classic shades of blue and white that have always been central to the brand Spezial celebrates.
First up, the Gazelle SPZL from Fall Winter 2023 returns in two iterations: one in an all black colourway with a suede upper (that gives a nod to the Pulsebeat SPZL and the other in a chalk white denim upper with subtly contrasting white stripes.
The Whitworth SPZL takes inspiration from a host of 80s runners, with a colour which takes its cues from the vintage adidas clipper. It comprises of a suede, nylon, and mesh upper with reflective accents on the heel and tongue. Next, the Handball Pro SPZL references the upper of a lesser known adidas handball silhouette, discovered by Gary Aspden, which is then reworked atop a rubber gum cupsole and presented in a classic blue colourway often found on shoes designed for the indoor sport.
Rounding out the selection of entirely new trainers, the Moston Super SPZL is inspired by the adidas Artic from the mid 70s and boasts a suede green upper with bolder green stripes and contrast stitching. This playful twist on the Boston Super name is a reference to the North Manchester suburb that gave us Northside in the late 1980s and Bugzy Malone more recently.
The footwear selection is then completed with the return of two classic Spezial silhouettes. First released in 2017, the cult favourite Wensley SPZL features an asymmetrical upper with nylon underlays and hairy suede overlays. For the label’s 10th anniversary, the silhouette receives a new light brown colourway and a revised padded tongue. The adilette SPZL, meanwhile, infuses the classic slip-on look with Spezial’s identity.
If you’re sorted for footwear and its the apparel that gets your juices flowing, there’s a lot to like here too.
The centrepiece of the collection is the sought after Todmorden Smock, first released in Spring Summer 2021 to an immediate sell out, this season the coveted style returns in two colourways: navy and white.
The aforementioned Mod Trefoil features on a signature tee, while the Trentham and Wingrove jackets arrive just in time for when the warm days give way to chillier nights when the sun goes in.
Additional accessories add weight to this release, the first in a range that’ll span the remainder of 2024.
The relationships Gary Aspden brought to adidas from the music world were what arguably launched his name in association with the three stripes. Rather than rely on the familiar faces we’ve seen wearing the gear in the past, Spezial this time comes in collaboration with Ashley Walters, whose credentials as a musician and an actor are unrivalled. With content almost as important as product these days, this link up is welcome and comes via film and still created by long-term Spezial partners &SON, who keep the visuals consistent while moving them on.
The latest adidas SPZL collection arrives in limited quantities on 4th April and is available from SEVENSTORE
