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Fashion

Ode to the Adidas Gazelle

Tayler Willson doffs his cap to a pair of trainers with soul in their soles

PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Ower-Davis

Loafers, sandals, boots, Crocs… you can tell a lot about a person from their footwear. Well-worn leather, for example, can signify someone who buys shoes for longevity; a gleaming, unblemished sole could be a clue to the presence of a sneakerhead.

Then there’s one particular item of footwear that has a personality of its own. The first thing you might spot is one of the most iconic silhouettes in trainer history. Look closer and you’ll spy the classic low-profile, with a subtle-but-durable midsole and a lightweight, stripped-back tongue. Reach out and touch it, even for a second, and you’ll be connected to decades of cultural and social heritage.

Loafers, sandals, boots, Crocs… you can tell a lot about a person from their footwear. Well-worn leather, for example, can signify someone who buys shoes for longevity; a gleaming, unblemished sole could be a clue to the presence of a sneakerhead.

Then there’s one particular item of footwear that has a personality of its own. The first thing you might spot is one of the most iconic silhouettes in trainer history. Look closer and you’ll spy the classic low-profile, with a subtle-but-durable midsole and a lightweight, stripped-back tongue. Reach out and touch it, even for a second, and you’ll be connected to decades of cultural and social heritage.

Read the full story
Sign up now to get access to this and every premium feature on Champions Journal. You will also get access to member-only competitions and offers. And you get all of that completely free!

The epochal adidas Gazelle tells its own story. It was originally designed as a shoe to train in – there was even a version specifically for playing handball – but it made its name on the terraces. In the UK it speaks of 1980s terrace casuals and Britpop, EURO 96 and Gazza, the 1998 World Cup and England away days. Its impact is felt further afield too, from hip-hop, skate parks and the Beastie Boys in America to Bob Marley with a football at his feet in Jamaica.

Today, with so many iterations, you can either stick with your classic set-up or match your Gazelles to the colours of your team. Either way, should somebody ask you whether you can kick it, you should answer in the affirmative: yes, you can.

Long live the adidas Gazelle.

Loafers, sandals, boots, Crocs… you can tell a lot about a person from their footwear. Well-worn leather, for example, can signify someone who buys shoes for longevity; a gleaming, unblemished sole could be a clue to the presence of a sneakerhead.

Then there’s one particular item of footwear that has a personality of its own. The first thing you might spot is one of the most iconic silhouettes in trainer history. Look closer and you’ll spy the classic low-profile, with a subtle-but-durable midsole and a lightweight, stripped-back tongue. Reach out and touch it, even for a second, and you’ll be connected to decades of cultural and social heritage.

Ode to the Adidas Gazelle
Fashion

Ode to the Adidas Gazelle

Tayler Willson doffs his cap to a pair of trainers with soul in their soles

PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Ower-Davis

Loafers, sandals, boots, Crocs… you can tell a lot about a person from their footwear. Well-worn leather, for example, can signify someone who buys shoes for longevity; a gleaming, unblemished sole could be a clue to the presence of a sneakerhead.

Then there’s one particular item of footwear that has a personality of its own. The first thing you might spot is one of the most iconic silhouettes in trainer history. Look closer and you’ll spy the classic low-profile, with a subtle-but-durable midsole and a lightweight, stripped-back tongue. Reach out and touch it, even for a second, and you’ll be connected to decades of cultural and social heritage.

Penalty Pedigree

Etiam erat velit scelerisque in dictum non. Dictum non consectetur a erat nam at. Scelerisque felis imperdiet proin fermentum leo. Nibh tortor id aliquet lectus proin nibh nisl. Nulla at volutpat diam ut venenatis. At urna condimentum mattis pellentesque id nibh tortor id aliquet. Leo a diam sollicitudin tempor id eu nisl nunc mi. Dui vivamus arcu felis bibendum ut. Pharetra convallis posuere morbi leo urna molestie. Adipiscing at in tellus integer feugiat scelerisque. In arcu cursus euismod quis. Dictum non consectetur a erat nam at lectus urna duis. Facilisi nullam vehicula ipsum a arcu cursus. At tempor commodo ullamcorper a lacus vestibulum sed arcu non. Ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit pellentesque habitant. Vitae sapien pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus. Eget nullam non nisi est sit amet facilisis. Ipsum consequat nisl vel pretium lectus quam. Elit sed vulputate mi sit amet mauris commodo quis. Pretium fusce id velit ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse potenti.

Loafers, sandals, boots, Crocs… you can tell a lot about a person from their footwear. Well-worn leather, for example, can signify someone who buys shoes for longevity; a gleaming, unblemished sole could be a clue to the presence of a sneakerhead.

Then there’s one particular item of footwear that has a personality of its own. The first thing you might spot is one of the most iconic silhouettes in trainer history. Look closer and you’ll spy the classic low-profile, with a subtle-but-durable midsole and a lightweight, stripped-back tongue. Reach out and touch it, even for a second, and you’ll be connected to decades of cultural and social heritage.

Read the full story
Sign up now to get access to this and every premium feature on Champions Journal. You will also get access to member-only competitions and offers. And you get all of that completely free!

The epochal adidas Gazelle tells its own story. It was originally designed as a shoe to train in – there was even a version specifically for playing handball – but it made its name on the terraces. In the UK it speaks of 1980s terrace casuals and Britpop, EURO 96 and Gazza, the 1998 World Cup and England away days. Its impact is felt further afield too, from hip-hop, skate parks and the Beastie Boys in America to Bob Marley with a football at his feet in Jamaica.

Today, with so many iterations, you can either stick with your classic set-up or match your Gazelles to the colours of your team. Either way, should somebody ask you whether you can kick it, you should answer in the affirmative: yes, you can.

Long live the adidas Gazelle.

Loafers, sandals, boots, Crocs… you can tell a lot about a person from their footwear. Well-worn leather, for example, can signify someone who buys shoes for longevity; a gleaming, unblemished sole could be a clue to the presence of a sneakerhead.

Then there’s one particular item of footwear that has a personality of its own. The first thing you might spot is one of the most iconic silhouettes in trainer history. Look closer and you’ll spy the classic low-profile, with a subtle-but-durable midsole and a lightweight, stripped-back tongue. Reach out and touch it, even for a second, and you’ll be connected to decades of cultural and social heritage.

Penalty Pedigree

Etiam erat velit scelerisque in dictum non. Dictum non consectetur a erat nam at. Scelerisque felis imperdiet proin fermentum leo. Nibh tortor id aliquet lectus proin nibh nisl. Nulla at volutpat diam ut venenatis. At urna condimentum mattis pellentesque id nibh tortor id aliquet. Leo a diam sollicitudin tempor id eu nisl nunc mi. Dui vivamus arcu felis bibendum ut. Pharetra convallis posuere morbi leo urna molestie. Adipiscing at in tellus integer feugiat scelerisque. In arcu cursus euismod quis. Dictum non consectetur a erat nam at lectus urna duis. Facilisi nullam vehicula ipsum a arcu cursus. At tempor commodo ullamcorper a lacus vestibulum sed arcu non. Ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit pellentesque habitant. Vitae sapien pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus. Eget nullam non nisi est sit amet facilisis. Ipsum consequat nisl vel pretium lectus quam. Elit sed vulputate mi sit amet mauris commodo quis. Pretium fusce id velit ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse potenti.

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