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The adidas OT Originals Tokyo Tech line is an interesting trickle down of the solid shoes Kazuki's been pushing under the ObyO line, and the OT Tech Hike Spezial caught our eyes immediately during buying season. A consistent collection that really find its feet in the coming months, from shoes to some superior apparel, it's clear that adidas Originals are taking this line seriously. The shades of Visvim are certainly no bad thing, and these feel like an evolution of the cues present in the Neighborhood ZX 700 Boat from the aZX collection too, but there's more than enough nods to iconic adi models here too. Every brand should have a solid boot design, and in the GSG 9 tactical design, adidas were doing all-black ruggedness while many of the blog comment critics were still pissing their pants. 1978's Reinhold Messner endorsed SUPER-TREKKING boot (like the GSG 9, recently given a decent update) reissued just a few months back in German-made form is another masterpiece.So in case you were wondering, adidas knows boots.

The Hike Spezial has been developed for casual wear. They weren't built for shoot outs with the Red Army Faction or solo Everest ascents, but these are still built tough. The low cut versions of these in a more traditional suede makeup were begging for a spot of extra height to offset some odd midsole detailing. Here, the nylon mesh, reflective jagged detailing , premium leather, plus the use of colours is excellent. The beige versions in particular are some of the best OT Tech designs to date. And just when everything's getting a little olde world and D-ring heritage hiker, the tongue label keeps it contemporary. We're glad the high-cut versions jettison the crossed stripe interpretations on the heel too, and while the trefoil towards forefoot looks a little ungainly here, in the flesh, it's a little less jarring. We're looking forward to road testing these when they're released this coming October...

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