image by means of British textile Biennial
You’d be hard pressed to find a sneaker line with a history as rich as adidas SPEZIAL. originally designed as a handball shoe, it was first worn in 1979 by players from Germany, Holland, and Scandinavia, and it swiftly became a fan-favourite across the globe. It wasn’t really until the mid-1980s when the range started making waves in the world of football and fashion. To celebrate this legendary brand, SPZL designer Gary Aspden has curated a collection of over 1000 archival sneakers to be exhibited at Blackburn’s British textile Biennial.

Set to showcase a large range of vintage colourways, Aspden specifically chose Blackburn for the event as the town played a huge role in the SPEZIAL’s legacy. “I grew up in Darwen and spent a lot of of my formative years in Blackburn.”; he explained in a press release. “The experiences of my upbringing and youth have always been a source of inspiration for the adidas SPEZIAL range that I design and curate. The creative team who work on SPEZIAL are all from the area so getting involved with the British textile Biennal whilst supporting Nightsafe seemed a best fit.”

If you want to check out the massive adidas SPEZIAL collection, the exhibition will be held at the British textile Biennial from October 4th all the way to October 20th. check out the official invite down below, and make sure you keep it locked at The Sole vendor for the current and greatest sneakers news!