crooked tongues magazine News Features

This adidas ZX 5000 represents a new breed of Originals makeups that gets it right without any thematic nuttiness. We just took delivery of these and the 'Craftsmanship' Forum Mid (one of the best Forums ever made), and for a brief second, these brought a glimmer of happiness to us, brightening our withered, blackened hearts. The ZX 5000 was never our favourite Torsion model in its heyday, just because in 1989, in our quest for cut-out grooves and Soft Cell twinned, we rushed to the 8000 and 9000. That was foolishness on our part. It was nice to see it make an impromptu return after Christmas. We haven't see any clangers on the colourway front for this shoe yet and this one one is exceptional.

That fuzzy faux-suede is twinned with some ripstop nylon, and the black on the rear and forefront gives the shoe some attitude with some colour blocking that elevates the model rather than inducing a pained expression. The yellow laces complement the Torsion bar, but grey or black turns these into a runner that's downright sinister. 1988 and 1989 really were vintage years for sports footwear, and these are a superior spin on the lighter source material that are available in the Crooked store right now.