adidas Superstar & Handball Spezial: Built By Community
Sure the adidas Superstar and Handball Spezial are aesthetically beautiful shoes that just hit no matter the occasion, but that’s not what made these shoes perennial icons. At the core of each silhouette’s eternal allure is community, and a sense of togetherness and belonging. When Run-D.M.C. dropped “My Adidas”, it brought the worlds of hip-hop and sneakers together on a truly global stage in a way that had never been seen before. The adidas Superstars began life as a low-top basketball sneaker but through this incredible hybridization of music and sneakers, the Shelltoes became the de facto footwear of choice in the burgeoning breakdance scene.
It was a similar story for the Handball Spezial, a low-top sneaker brought to life with a lightweight nylon upper and sturdy suede and leather accents that was originally destined to be a handball shoe. But of course, it became so much more than that. In the early 80s, the Handball Spezial was picked up by the Casual football movement, an identity that was typified by designer jackets, adidas sneaks and a light bit of football hooliganism. Ubiquitous with Biritsh street style, the Handball Spezial came to the U.K. on the feet of traveling football fans that would follow their teams around mainland Europe before bringing the styles back home.
So now over five decades on, here we are again, brought together not by fashion, but by community. Linking up with a close-knit group of friends in Malmö, we sought to express the tapestry of style imbued in every silhouette by showing its versatility. Whether you’re going for Gorpcore, something a little more maximalist or maybe something just a little retro, there’s going to be a Shelltoe or a Handball Spezial for you.
