The Adidas Handball Spezial is one of the most accommodating-fitting shoes in Adidas's lineup — but the question almost everyone asks before buying is the same: does the Spezial run true to size?
We sell the Handball Spezials at West Coast Deals, so we get a lot of pairs in hand. To answer the sizing question properly, I tested three sizes on the same foot — a half size down, true to size, and a half size up — both standing still and walking. This guide gives you the straight answer, the size-by-size breakdown, the construction details, and a lacing tip that genuinely changes how the shoe fits.
Does the Adidas Handball Spezial run true to size? The short answer
For most people, the Handball Spezial fits true to size. If you have a wider foot — or you tend to wear a medium or thicker sock — go up half a size.
I have a wider-than-average foot, and after testing the Spezial in three sizes, the half size up was the most comfortable for me. If your feet are a standard width, your normal size will fit you well. This matches what's generally reported about the shoe: it runs true to size for average feet and can feel tight for wider feet, where half a size up solves it.
Fit, size by size
I wear a US 11 in most sneakers. I tested the Spezial in 10.5, 11, and 11.5, walking in each and paying attention to how the fit changed once my foot was actually moving.
US 10.5 (a half size down from my normal size). Snug, but not as cramped as you'd expect — there was still some room at the toes, and my toes weren't crushed against the front. The tightness showed up around the laces instead. They felt fine trying them on and walking around the room, but I could tell that over a longer stretch of wear they'd start to get uncomfortable. Wearable in a pinch, not the size I'd choose.
US 11 (my normal size). Snug, and a good fit once dialed in — but there's a catch worth knowing. Out of the box, the shoe felt insecure: when I stepped, the side panels around the eyelets and the top of the tongue would push outward, and my foot didn't feel locked in. Then I laced through the top eyelet, and the difference was immediate — the side panels stopped flaring, and the shoe felt properly snug and secure. With a wider foot, true to size felt snug but locked-in once laced fully. Comfortable for a couple of hours of walking.
US 11.5 (a half size up from my normal size). At first these felt loose, with some heel slip at the back. Lacing the top eyelets tighter fixed the slip and locked my foot in. Because I have a wider foot, the half size up gave me a little more room through the tongue and the vamp (the area above the toe box) which felt slightly snug in the smaller sizes. Wearing my usual medium-thickness sock, this was the most comfortable of the three.
Verdict. As someone with a wider foot wearing a medium sock, the half size up won — once laced all the way up. If you have a standard foot width, true to size is your size. And one honest note on sock thickness: if you want to go true to size but you're between, a thinner sock makes true to size work comfortably; a thicker sock pushes you toward the half size up.
The lacing tip that changes the fit
This is worth pulling out on its own, because it surprised me and it isn't obvious. The Handball Spezial does not come pre-laced through the top eyelet. In both the 11 and the 11.5, the shoe felt loose and insecure — side panels flaring out, heel slipping — until I laced through that top eyelet.
Once I did, the fit problem disappeared at both sizes. So before you judge how a pair fits, lace them fully, top eyelet included. A lot of people who feel the Spezial is "loose" or "not secure" may simply not have laced them all the way up.
What the Adidas Handball Spezial is
The Handball Spezial was designed in 1979 as an indoor handball shoe for elite players, built for the grip and quick lateral movement the sport demands. It was worn at the World Handball Championship in Germany in the late '70s. Over the following decades it moved off the court and became a streetwear staple — and today it's worn almost entirely as a casual lifestyle sneaker.
Within Adidas's terrace family — the low-profile retro sneakers like the Samba and Gazelle — the Spezial is the comfortable, slightly-under-the-radar pick. It shares the lineage but isn't as ubiquitous as the Samba.
Construction and materials
- Upper: Suede on standard versions, with soft leather detailing. Note that the Spezial comes in a range of upper materials depending on the colorway — suede is most common, but leather, textile, and velvet versions exist. Always check the upper for the specific colorway you're buying.
- Toe: The signature T-toe design.
- Branding: Serrated 3-Stripes along the sides, the Spezial tongue logo, and gold metallic signature detailing.
- Sole: Gum rubber outsole — low-profile, flexible, with strong grip. The thick rubber sole also gives a bit of cushioning and support.
- Profile: Low and slim through the upper, with a thinner tongue and collar than the Gazelle.
The suede upper is part of the appeal — it's the same material point that separates the Spezial from the leather-uppered Samba — and it tends to look better as it ages.
How the Spezial fits compared to other Adidas shoes
If you've worn other Adidas models, this helps place the Spezial:
- vs. the Samba: The Spezial fits noticeably wider and has a thinner tongue and collar. The Samba runs narrow and slightly long — most people size the Samba down half a size, which is the opposite of the Spezial. If the Samba felt too narrow for you, the Spezial is the more forgiving shoe.
- vs. the Gazelle: Both have suede uppers and a roomier feel than the Samba. The Spezial sits slightly between the two and is the less common pick of the three.
The takeaway: the Handball Spezial is the widest-fitting of the classic models, which makes it the best terrace option if you have wider feet.
Final verdict
The Adidas Handball Spezial fits true to size for standard-width feet. If you have a wider foot, or you wear a medium-to-thick sock, go up half a size. Whichever size you land on, lace the shoe fully through the top eyelet — it's the difference between a Spezial that feels loose and one that feels locked in and secure.
It's a genuinely comfortable shoe and the most accommodating fit in Adidas's terrace lineup, which is a big part of why it's worth considering over the more common Samba if width has ever been an issue for you.
We sell the Adidas Handball Spezial at West Coast Deals, shipped from our Portland, Oregon warehouse. [Browse current Handball Spezial colorways and sizes here.]
— Anthony from West Coast Deals