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adidas Torsion Allegra X

It was a matter of time before the vast mines of technical innovation owned by adidas would turn these up again.

Torsion remind me of the golden era when adidas moved their UK distribution HQ to my town. In fact, it wasn’t just my town, but my part of town. The industrial estate which their massive shoe-box looking building dominated was about a mile from my house. My Dad knew someone who worked there and within weeks of it opening, a staff pass to the staff shop was forthcoming.

Since then, getting access to the outlet-type gaffs has become far easier. For a long while, adidas have had a factory shop elsewhere in Stockport and it was only accessible via a much coveted card. Then one day you didn’t even need one of those. It’s a far cry from self-consciously padding around the staff shop with a pair of 1994 adidas Predators in my hands, unable to believe my luck. And it’s certainly a world away from the lock up style arrangement located a block away from the main adidas building. This was Torsion heaven, with samples galore and for peanuts. Not just outlet prices but probably closer to cost price. It was a respectful free-for-all. Elbows sharpened but neutralised by forced smiles. Nobody wanted to fall out in a fight over some ace shoes for £11 but they would if they had to. Such was the appetite for bargain shoes and apparel people were lugging large binbag sized baskets over their shoulders.

I pine for those days.

The next best thing is these, which look like something Arnie would have worn in Predator.

Buy them at once from OKI-NI

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Mark Smith

I had pizza for tea.

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