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adidas Handball Spezial

adidas

Handball Spezial

The functional handball shoe that became a streetwear icon.

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adidas Handball Spezial Comfort Closure Elastic Lace KI3944
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial Comfort Closure Elastic Lace
  • "Earth Strata & Off White"
adidas Handball Spezial KI3943
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Earth Strata & Off White"
adidas Handball Spezial JS3866
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Clear Sky & Cream White"
adidas Handball Spezial JS3865
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Cream White & Blue"
adidas Handball Spezial St JS2795
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial St
  • "Core Black & Cloud White"
adidas Handball Spezial JS0251
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Active Purple & Solar Green"
adidas Handball Spezial JS0250
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Clear Pink & Solar Orange"
adidas Handball Spezial JS0241
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Alumina & Clear Sky"
adidas Handball Spezial Made in Germany JR9535
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial Made in Germany
  • "Equipment Red & Off White"
adidas Handball Spezial Comfort Closure Elastic Lace JR7423
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial Comfort Closure Elastic Lace
  • "Ruby Red & Lucid Pink"
adidas Handball Spezial LT JR4881
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial LT
  • "Leopard Print"
adidas Handball Spezial LT JR4880
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial LT
  • "Collegiate Green & Cream White"
adidas Handball Spezial LT JR4879
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial LT
  • "Preloved Brown & Cream White"
adidas Handball Spezial x Liberty London JR3883
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial x Liberty London
  • "Floral Red"
adidas Handball Spezial JR3846
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Cargo Brown & Orange"
adidas Handball Spezial JR3845
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Victory Blue & Solar Yellow"
adidas Handball Spezial St JR3703
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial St
  • "Almost Pink & Dark Brown"
adidas Handball Spezial JR3639
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Glow Blue & Red"
adidas Handball Spezial JR3617
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Orange Tint & Powder Plum"
adidas Handball Spezial JR3607
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Lucid Red & Glow Blue"
adidas Handball Spezial JR3606
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Glow Pink & Flash Orange"
adidas Handball Spezial JR2121
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Olive Strata & Cream White"
adidas Handball Spezial JR2109
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Clear Pink & Cloud White"
adidas Handball Spezial Comfort Closure Elastic Lace JR2106
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial Comfort Closure Elastic Lace
  • "Clear Pink & Cloud White"
adidas Handball Spezial JR2103
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Clear Pink & Cloud White"
adidas Handball Spezial JR0850
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Silver Pebble & Orbit Grey"
adidas Handball Spezial JQ8411
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Preloved Brown & Orange Tint"
adidas Handball Spezial JQ8410
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Sand Strata & Clear Sky"
adidas Handball Spezial JQ8298
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Beige & Brown"
adidas Handball Spezial JQ8297
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Focus Olive & Fox Brown"
adidas Handball Spezial Comfort Closure Elastic Lace JQ6382
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial Comfort Closure Elastic Lace
  • "Core Black & Cloud White"
adidas Handball Spezial Comfort Closure Elastic Lace JQ6381
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial Comfort Closure Elastic Lace
  • "Light Blue & Cloud White"
adidas Handball Spezial Comfort Closure Elastic Lace JQ6380
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial Comfort Closure Elastic Lace
  • "Collegiate Navy & Clear Sky"
adidas Handball Spezial JP9800
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Cloud White & Off White"
adidas Handball Spezial JP8726
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Maroon & Cream White"
adidas Handball Spezial JP8238
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Magic Beige & Off White"
adidas Handball Spezial JP8021
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Maroon & Core Black"
adidas Handball Spezial JP8020
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Preloved Violet & Core Black"
adidas Handball Spezial Comfort Closure Elastic Lace JP8010
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial Comfort Closure Elastic Lace
  • "Ruby Red & Lucid Pink"
adidas Handball Spezial Comfort Closure Elastic Lace JP8007
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial Comfort Closure Elastic Lace
  • "Grey Two & Pure Teal"
adidas Handball Spezial JP8002
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Grey Two & Pure Teal "
adidas Handball Spezial JP7999
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Ruby Red & Lucid Pink"
adidas Handball Spezial JP7997
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Grey Two & Pure Teal"
adidas Handball Spezial Comfort Closure Elastic Lace JP7996
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial Comfort Closure Elastic Lace
  • "Enderman"
adidas Handball Spezial x Minecraft JP7995
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial x Minecraft
  • "Enderman"
adidas Handball Spezial JP5356
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Core Black & Silver Metallic"
adidas Handball Spezial JP5278
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Collegiate Royal & Cloud White"
adidas Handball Spezial JI4645
  • adidas
  • Handball Spezial
  • "Cardboard & Crystal Sand"

Handball Spezial

In the late 1970s, German sportswear brand adidas reacted to the popularity of handball in their country by producing an indoor shoe that was perfect for the fast-paced sport. Known as the adidas Handball Spezial, it was built for agility and speed, with a grippy rubber cupsole, a sleek low-profile, a durable suede upper and minimal branding. 

This high-performance design saw the Handball Spezial become popular across Europe’s indoor courts after its 1979 release, but it soon found a place amongst the casual football fans of 1980’s United Kingdom, who brought it back from the continent after watching their teams play in Europe.

In time, these supporters popularised the Spezial in the United Kingdom, taking it into other subcultures such as breakdancing and underground music scenes. Although adidas moved on to other shoes, this allowed the Handball Spezial to maintain a presence in the wider culture so that, when it finally made a return, there were plenty who remembered it.

The Spezial name was first brought back to prominence by brand consultant Gary Aspden, who launched a sneaker-based project under the decades-old moniker in 2013. During its first exhibition, Aspden drew attention to classic adidas sneakers as he told a compelling story of the brand’s history. With unique colourways donated by celebrity sneaker fans, it reintroduced heritage silhouettes like the Handball Spezial to a new generation.

Aspden was given charge of a new project called adidas SPZL, and over the next few years, he went on a retrospective journey in which he introduced old models to a modern audience. With its name back in the mainstream, the Handball Spezial returned in 2018 as adidas made it a core part of the popular Originals line.

In the 2020s, adidas Originals were must-have sneakers, and by 2023, the Handball Spezial was showing up on the social media feeds of fashionable celebrities and influencers. Meanwhile, Aspden celebrated ten years of the SPZL project with a stunning exhibition that drew even more attention to the Spezial name. Before long, the silhouette was involved in stylish collaborations with high-end lifestyle brands including Sporty & Rich and Kith as it became a cultural phenomenon.

The adidas Handball Spezial began as a well-designed indoor sports shoe, but after more than 40 years, it is now considered a timeless lifestyle model and an icon of modern sneaker culture.

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