About

adidas Gazelle

In 1966 adidas released a shoe that was not built for one sport. Where the brand had designed per discipline until then, the Gazelle was a general training shoe: good enough for the track, the gym and the walk in between.

Suede as the main material

The key choice was the upper. Where leather was stiff and heavy, suede gave a light shoe that molded to the foot right away. That made it pleasant to train in, but it also gave the shoe its soft, matte look, and that is ultimately why it ended up far outside sport. The three stripes sit as separate bands on the panel, with the name alongside.

Where it splits from the Samba

This is the question most people have, and the answer sits in the toe. The Samba carries a T-shaped reinforcement over the toe because a ball hits there; the Gazelle has none. Its silhouette is smoother and narrower as a result, and the tread underneath is simpler. Two shoes from the same thinking, split by a difference that comes entirely from the job each was given.

Why it stuck around

The Gazelle survived because it never looked like too much of anything. It is neither loudly sporty nor pointedly dressy, and that neutrality is exactly what made it useful again in every decade. Inside adidas it stands next to the Superstar as the quiet relative: no shell toe, no armor, just shape.

On this page you can see which versions of the adidas Gazelle are running hottest right now according to the Hypescore, from what price they’re available, and how many shops have them in stock.