The adidas Padiham Goes Pastel

Few brands have a back catalogue as formidable and diverse as that of adidas, whose archive spans countless models yet to re-emerge from the ether. One such silhouette that returned to the fray recently was the Padiham, which was reborn under the SPZL umbrella, but is now an occasional seasonal offering from the Three Stripes. And these two new editions are especially nice.

Reportedly drawing their colourways from the archaic yet rustic woollen cycling jerseys of the 1970s, these pastel suede uppers definitely invoke the palettes of the big races of yesteryear. Pastel ‘Glow Pink’ would’ve been seen flying up the mountains of the Italian Alps, while the warm ‘Spice Orange’ could easily match a beautiful cromovelato finish. It certainly helps that the tricolore red, white and blue stripe branding only adds even more European flair.

The Padiham is a classic of the terrace scene, and exhibits all the hallmarks of the era: pinked (zigzag) panel edges, generous tongue perforations, rubber cupsoles, and low-profile stature. Astute observation of period correctness is maintained with the adidas branded insoles too. Definitely get some waterproof sprays and avoid wearing these to the pub…

Both colourways of the adidas Padiham are available now from retailers such as Aphrodite.