The Dassler: Number 27- May 2024. Read on for enough three stripe goodness to satisfy the most obsessive adidas fanatic.
Welcome to The Dassler, Twenty-Seventh edition.
Welcome to our fifth edition of The Dassler in 2024-number 27, the monthly magazine especially written for (and by) adidas lovers.
Thank you for continuing to subscribe to our little corner of adidas heaven.
This publication loves sharing three stripe nuggets of information, that add to the mystique of the adidas legacy.
You may know that the adidas STAN SMITH MYLO are vegan featuring no animal products in its design, conception or product. But you may not know that adidas partnered up with Bolt Threads, a biotechnology company, to make the Mylo Stans and that they are actually made of mushrooms! Yep Mushroom leather! Not quite sure the Stans would look good in a breakfast fry up but- Always Learning!
The Dassler comes out on the Third Saturday of each Month-to take your mind off spending all your money on adidas and give you something to do while waiting for the end of the months pay day!
In this edition we have another trainer in our feature ‘Retro shoe of the month’ where again this month we share a, not quite long forgotten, Trainer from the mahoosive adidas back catalogue. Woody continues to write about the first A-ZX release in 2008-the last Part 3. Craig muses on the adidas rebranding. We share Roger’s (@elplucko on X) adidas Top Ten and Craig reviews the latest adidas drops of note, with some Dassler exclusives!
A massive three-striped thank you for subscribing, it takes a lot of hours to research, write, source and edit The Dassler and your support is very much appreciated.
If this is your first visit then we’d highly recommend you run over to the very beginning (obvs wearing a pair of adidas ZX600)to our earlier issues here.
They’ll be news of the adidas annual very soon (again please be patient-it’s a huge designer job to put this together-paid subscribers first as promised) and a couple of surprise guest writers for 2024.
This is a monthly newsletter, that will contain ultra rare deadstock trainers, new adidas releases & brand exclusive information from 3 stripe social media giant Craig (@adifamily_ *X & Insta*), adidas oddments & apparel reminiscences written by Woody (@dadidassler *X* & Insta) plus loads of articles from special guest writers and we have some absolute adidas legends as guest writers lined up!
The Story behind the stripes.
adidas Zodiak
This 1980’s Made in France runner contained a lot of features that many of you will recognise from other adidas silhouettes.
The Zodiak was unusual in several aspects, probably the most obvious being the multitude of bright colours that the shoe was available in. It also was one of the first adidas shoes to showcase silver and gold stripes available in Europe.
Designed to be lightweight and capable of running in all weathers, hence the suction-cup sole, the Zodiak was one of the first runners adidas France released.
Showcasing the aforementioned suction-cup sole unit, that contained interlocked rows of rubber diamond and circular shapes which curled up the front foot to protect the toes.
Made of canvass with a suede toe bumper that stretched around the front foot connecting the three stripes on either side. With an extra spongy midsole for comfort and to reduce impact, which was colour co-ordinated with the leather stripes and the heel tab/heel support.
Some early 90’s versions (see below photographs) featured D ring plastic ghilly lacing and also were called Zodiac (like the Star Signs) the mis-spelling probably due to being made in a licenced factory.
With it’s bright colours and matching mid sole the Zodiak was a really beautiful runner, simple yet effective. So it’s surprising that the Zodiak didn’t last longer than the very early 90’s.
It was only in 2007 that there was a revival of the Zodiak for the much loved adidas ‘Materials of the World (MOTW)’ series. Celebrating the unique cultures of the world, adidas' 2006/7 collection featured a line of trainers and clothing made out of fabrics sourced from different places around the world. The selling point of the collection was that the materials and patterns/designs used were unique to the particular country that they represented. They capsule came in limited numbers adding to the mystique for collectors.
The 2007 Zodiak re-issue was the first since its 1980’s heyday and was released in 2 packs, one an England inspired version and the other utilising Canadian based materials. The only minor difference in this 1-1 re-issue, which wasn’t on the OG, was an extra strip of suede/leather to stabilise the heel and heel tab at the rear of the shoe.
The Canadian version was made with a local light beige material, Cowichan Wool, Find out more about the origins of Cowichan Wool here. Featuring brown leather stripes, heel support, toe guard and lace stay. It had a specially designed maple leaf motif bisected by the obligatory 3 stripes, on the heel tab. Also showcased the Materials of the World (basically a globe!) logo on the tongue badge.
A cardigan using the same materials and motifs was also released in tandem with the Zodiak in the Canadian capsule.
In the same 2007 MOTW drop an ‘England’ version was released, which utilised the ‘Prince of Wales’ Check tweed as its base material. More info here on the interesting origins of that tweed.
This Zodiak featured black suede stripes, heel tab, lace stay and toe guard. Unlike the ‘Canadian’ version it did not feature a customised motif, just the trefoil on the heel tab.
This edition did however get released with a complimentary jacket made with the same ‘Prince of Wales’ check as the shoes.
Very weirdly the Zodiak has never been re-released again-The similarly designed adidas ‘Phantom’ may be responsible as this has been re-released since the Materials Of the World capsules of 2006/7.
What am sure you can appreciate is once again adidas have some beautiful trainers in it’s back catalogue and that the Zodiak is another one of them.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Dassler to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.