crooked tongues magazine News Features

The adidas Jogging High II always seemed to be designed for the hardcore in mind. Part of adidas's late '70s and early '80s magic was that the design boffins at work were making something for any discipline. And they were always killer. Handball and ping-pong got classics, so jogging— one of the most democratic of all sporting pastimes—was always going to result in weirdo classicism too. It was a silver age for sports footwear. Hi-top runners however are something very different. Built to keep a jogger dry and safe, the upper and sole hark back to any number of early '80s masterpieces—the strange thing is that it doesn't know when to stop vertically.

The military-issue GSG9 tactical boot turned a trainer into a hi-top, and the Super Trekking beefed up that aesthetic too. The Jogging Allround was a year-round runner that defied the elements with D-rings and rugged detailing, built on a plug-soled platform, and the ghilly-laced Jogging Hi II is cut from the same cloth. It wasn't a shoe we ever expected back until we saw the Wookie variation and wondered if someone had been spiking the Starbucks order with something other than mediocre coffee-flavoured water. These, alongside the mighty Tokyo Hi and Torsion Special Hi (which gets a little push for the cooler season too) represent for adidas's higher-minded athletic output effectively. These drop in October, and hopefully more offbeat pieces are planned for revival over the next twelve months...