Old School adidas: A Guide to the Retro Models
Nearly every adidas shoe people are wearing right now is forty or fifty years old. That's not a criticism — it's the whole appeal. But "old school adidas" covers a lot of different shoes, and they came from different sports and different decades.
Here's what each one actually is.
Samba (1950)
The oldest of the group and the one that started it. It was built for playing football on frozen ground — which is why it has a flat gum sole for grip and a suede toe cap for durability.
That's also why it fits narrow and low. It was designed to feel like a boot, not a lifestyle sneaker. See the Sambas collection.
Gazelle (1966)
A training shoe, and the first adidas to use suede across the whole upper rather than just the toe. Softer and slightly roomier than a Samba, with a more rounded shape.
The Gazelle Indoor is the version most people are buying now — a lower, wider take with a gum sole. Gazelles collection.
Handball Spezial (1979)
Made for indoor handball, which is why it has the pivot-friendly gum sole and the reinforced suede. It sits between the Samba and the Gazelle: slimmer than a Gazelle, a little more forgiving than a Samba.
It's the one I'd point most people to if they want the look without the narrow fit. Handball Spezials collection.
Superstar (1969)
A basketball shoe, and the first low-top leather one. The rubber shell toe existed to stop players blowing out the toe box on court.
It's the only shoe in this group built from leather rather than suede, which makes it the easiest to clean and the most formal-looking. Superstars collection.
SL 72 (1972)
Built for the Munich Olympics as a lightweight racing shoe. Nylon upper, suede overlays, and a wedge sole that tilts you forward slightly.
It's the most obviously seventies-looking shoe adidas makes, and the one that reads least like a modern sneaker. SL 72 collection, and we wrote a full SL 72 guide.
Japan and Tokyo
Both came out of adidas's Olympic-era running line and both are slimmer and more delicate than anything else here — thin soles, low profile, minimal padding.
The Japan in White (IH5489) and the Japan in Brown/Cream (JS0253) are the cleanest versions, and the Tiger Print Japan (KI6545) is the loud one.
On the Tokyo side, the White/Black Tokyo (JQ0597) is the everyday pick. More in the Japans and Tokyos collections, plus our Japan spotlight and Tokyo guide.
Which old school adidas should you buy?
If you want the one everyone recognizes, Samba. If you want comfort, Gazelle or Spezial. If you want leather that cleans up, Superstar. If you want something nobody else on your street has, SL 72 or Japan.
Our Samba vs Gazelle vs Spezial comparison goes deeper on the three that get confused most, and trending sneakers 2026 covers what's actually moving.
Buying vintage-styled adidas secondhand? Read how to spot fake adidas first.
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