adidas Originals: The Tischtennis

When you think of adidas and its place in sport, it probably conjures up images of football shirts covered with sponsorship’s and branding or the flash of the three stripes on the athletics track. What you probably don’t think of is table-tennis. And yet, in the opinion of many, the brand produced one of the best looking shoes they ever made for the sport. The shoe produced a cult following that lives on to this day.

The Tischtennis (Tabletennis) has become somewhat of a cult classic and while not as well known as the Gazelle or the Samba its design is none the less striking and not to mention unique.

What immediately grabs you when seeing the shoe is the upper which is made from an open-knit weave textile mesh, something that you rarely see on trainers nowadays. It gives the shoes a retro charm which, instead of seeming outdated makes for a refreshing change. The design is perfect for those super hot days when just the thought of wearing leather trainers makes your feet sweat.

The retro vibes continue with the three-stripes on the side coming in a multicoloured blue, red, and yellow giving vibrancy without being too loud. Then we start to see some familiarity when we get to the toebox – made in suede which was adopted by some of the most legendary adidas shoe silhouettes.

The gum sole featured on this shoe came from its original design and is something seen on many modern shoes even today. The difference being with this one is its distinctive high arch designed to meld to your foot and give maximum support to your foot.

The shoes were among those which picked up a cult following within the Football Casuals scene of the 80s when football fans would bring over exclusive sports clothing and shoes from Europe for the first time.

Today the shoe has informed many shoes that followed it and is a certified legend in the adidas archive. It is well-loved today for its vintage look that is difficult to find among newer trainers.