It does not happen to come across the adidas Originals Hamburg all that much on the US market so when it does it’s definitely time for me to get a pair and review its features. So imagine my surprise when, on one of the recent trips to the mall, I found a few colorways, all on sale. I can’t remember the last time I had one of these but I know it was a favorite of mine. These were originally released in 1982 as part of a “City” series that adidas came up with as part of their Consortium line. It’s a simple design that continued to be released over the next decades in various colorways, especially in Europe.
In 2014 the adidas Originals Hamburg made a comeback in US with several versions, including the white/blue, black/gum and the gray/navy. The first is an all leather sneaker while the others feature suede upper with leather overlays. The branding is quite minimal, with the Trefoil on the tongue and heel and “Hamburg” lettering on the side. It’s a low, slim silhouette that is in line with adidas classic sneakers from the 80’s that are simple and stylish. The upper also features the T shaped reinforced toe, a piece of design that is quite common to adidas classics, being inspired from soccer cleats.
What I like the most about this latest release is the quality of craftmanship which makes them beautiful and certainly durable. The cushioning in the sole unit is quite minimal, the removable EVA insole doing most of the job. This is not a surprise for those familiar with classic sneakers but it’s a reminder that not only these are no longer fit for sports, they provide limited support if you want to wear them all day. As far as the fit goes, they run true to size and they have a decent width, considering how narrow adidas were making the sneakers back in the 80’s. The sole unit setup is in many ways similar to another classic, the the adidas TRX Vintage model, both using an re-engineered EVA midsole that we also find at the ZX 750.
To conclude this short adidas Originals Hamburg review , this is a beautiful shoe that is made to last. It’s a hard Adidas retro sneaker find, especially in US, but you can find them on eBay so you can always try your chance there.
