The Gazelle originated in the sports world as a functional training shoe in the 1960’s and went on to influence numerous sub-cultures, from Hip Hop to Football and even to the likes of our Honeys Kate and Elle, easily making it one of the most iconic sneakers in history. 

Kate Moss & Elle Macpherson

Where It All Started

In the early 60’s the most dominant sneaker was the Adidas ‘Rom’ which had a leather body and a suede toe, it was designed just in time for the Rome Olympics that took place that year.

1996 brought on the inspiration for Adidas to make the first Gazelle based on the DNA from the Rom sneaker. The colourways aligned with their performance focus, the blue Gazelle was made for training featuring a kangaroo upper, padded ankle, arch support and a micro-grip sole, while the red Gazelle was designed as a multi-purpose training sneaker that arose in the 60’s.

By 1968 the sneaker gained a new lined sole and developed a white heel tab which became one of the most prominent features of re-issued Gazelle.

The Gazelle In Mainstream Culture

In the 1980's the sneaker became a favourite amongst young Britt’s, not only with the original version being easily attainable and affordable, the Gazelle was viewed as something so extremely desirable.

As Hip Hop began to flourish in Europe on the back of Electro and Rap, New York took interest in the Gazelle, acting as staples alongside the Superstar and the Campus. The Gazelle was one of the most aesthetically pleasing pieces of fashion at the time, subsequently becoming the must have sneaker for the Hip Hop scene internationally.

Beastie Boys

Into the 90’s, the sneaker was still going strong as Europe’s Hip Hop devotees continued to put their own twist on the fashion that set an image for Rap music, choosing the Gazelle over basketball sneakers that were hyped up within the music industry. 

The Gazelle Today

Adidas is re-issuing the Gazelle in fresh and archival colourways, creating a new sense of culture but at the same time remembering the past. Adidas’ right hand man Kalifé played a huge part in the re-issue of the 90's classic. He quotes:

“I guess I am lucky in a sense that my favourite variant of the shoe is the early ‘90s one. When I joined the brand one year ago and I was told that I would take care of resurrecting the shoe, it was like Christmas for me. I was born in the east of France and Adidas was always pretty popular in that area. I literally grew up with Gazelles on my feet. It is not only about nostalgia. We believe that the shape and the features of that version speaks to a modern audience, too,”

Selah Marley

Get on board with the Gazelle takeover Honeys, we got your needs covered here.

Update: This item is sold out but you can shop our other adidas styles here!