crooked tongues magazine News Features

The adidas Originals Etrusco is a new shoe, but it's the sum of several road (and pitch) tested parts. We believe it's also one of Big Daddy C-Law's final significant releases from his tenure at adidas, and he knows exactly what he's doing. We liked the Votary releases last year for adiCup that flipped Copa Mondial football boots into a sneaker and we really, really like the Busenitz shoe from adidas Skateboarding that flipped the Copa Mondial upper into a classic with the Handball Spezial-style sole unit. The Etrusco is clearly a response to that model's success with casual wear at the core, but it makes fine use of a later football boot model — the Etrusco Capitano boot that saw plenty of match time during the 1990 World Cup. We won't be directing any Lineker-style "Have a word with him" mimes in C-Law's direction, because he pulled this one off.

Part Etrusco, part Ciero (a shoe we found ourselves liking a lot) with the Campus and Gazelle style cues and Spezial-style midsole ventilation working in harmony. The jagged edges of the heel panel, suede toe with the kickaround friendly forefoot look, lacestay and tongue, hemp underlay with that always-awesome 'HEMP' tag and a shape that's not too lithe like real-deal training designs all work too. And all in forest green with white stripes? The boy done good and these are in the Crooked Store now...