Adidas Gazelle

Adidas Gazelle History

In the year 1966, the Adidas Gazelle was first introduced as a performance training shoe. Throughout time, this classic shoe became one of the most iconic sneakers from Adidas next to the Stan Smith. Though the real story behind the name of the shoe is still unsure, the Gazelle has become one of the crowd favorites. Thus the brand continues to produce the model 50 years later.

The Gazelle was the first shoe from Adidas to have a suede upper since, during that time, leather was commonly used for shoes. The advantage they got from having a suede upper for a shoe is that it is much lighter and more flexible than leather and still manages to maintain great protection for the foot.

The originally released colorways of the Adidas Gazelle were the blue and the red colorways and both sporting the white stripes on the sides. The shoe also had a different outsole which provides different kinds of traction.

The Adidas Gazelle drenched in red which was known as the “Gazelle Rot” showcased a sole taken from the “Olympiade” shoe which was a transparent non-slip sole. The Adidas Gazelle clad in blue which is also known as “Gazelle Blau” applied the microcell technology and provided a microcell ripple sole for the shoe. This technology embodied small air bubbles into the rubber, providing additional cushioning for impact on landing with the ripple effect of the shoe allowing the foot to have a firm grip on indoor surfaces.

It was in the 1970s that the Adidas Gazelle became one of the most popular shoes from the Adidas brand. Adidas did some experimentation on various types of outsoles and provided upgraded versions of the shoe. Along with these is the so-called “Soft Protect” which provides protection on the Achilles tendon and also a vinyl forming tongue which gives off comfort. By 1972, the brand released the microcell sole with a hexagonal tread which the brand used for the new re-issue of the shoe.

The Adidas Gazelle shoes became extremely popular especially in the UK and have been a part of some major sub-culture in the ’80s proving that the shoe is truly a classic. A few of the legendary groups to worship the Adidas Gazelle include reggae, hip-hop, Terrence casuals, grunge, and Britpop.

The silhouette has witnessed various collaborations and amazing releases throughout its existence. One of the latest collaborations for the Adidas Gazelle sneakers is the “Wood Wood Adidas Gazelle.” The Danish brand, Wood Wood, celebrates its 15^th anniversary this year through some significant collaboration in which one is with their long-time partner, the Adidas brand and gave a touch on the Adidas Gazelle.

They gave the Gazelle a black and white image which took inspiration from Nørrebro, a famous home-neighborhood in Copenhagen. The shoe showcases a long-haired suede upper with the “Nørrebro” branding on the side. The W.W. logo can be observed on the back part of the shoe along with the words “Madness” and “Mayhem” on the heel of each shoe.  Both the Adidas and Wood Wood branding are also featured on the tongue of the shoe.

Different variations of the Adidas Gazelle sneakers have surfaced throughout time which has served the needs for style and performance of both its longtime and new fans.

  Adidas Gazelle Popular Colorways

The Adidas Originals Gazelle sneaker continues to live on as one of the iconic shoes of the Adidas brand. Adidas' heritage line made sure to release various iterations along with a variety of colorways, allowing the people to have a lot of choices that would definitely suit their taste when grabbing a pair of these classic sneakers.

Some of these colorways have gained recognition of their own making a good impression on buyers. Here are some of the favorite colorways of both Adidas Gazelle men’s and Adidas Gazelle women’s sneakers:

• Adidas Gazelle Blue – as one of the very first colorways for the Adidas Gazelle sneakers, the blue colorway also has various iterations on its shades. The Adidas Gazelle Navy Blue, Adidas Gazelle Sky Blue, and the Adidas Gazelle Royal are a few of the different shades of blue for its colorway.
• Adidas Gazelle Red – as popular as it is the red colorway of the classic Gazelle shoes also come in variations with the traditional red and white colorway to an all-red red upper with a white tongue and sole
• Adidas Gazelle Pink – this colorway falls under the women’s Adidas Gazelle shoes. The color combination comes in ash pink, linen, and cloud white. The majority of the suede upper of the sneaker is covered in ash pink, including the laces. The tongue, the signature leather 3-stripes, the heel leather branding, and the midsole displays a white hue. Some other colorways for the shoes in shades of pink is the Adidas Gazelle Light Pink, and one may also get their desired shade of pink through the customization program of the brand.
• Adidas Gazelle Black – another version of this classic sneaker’s colorway that has gained popularity among fans is the black iteration on its hue. A variation of the black colorway is the Adidas Gazelle All-Black.
• Adidas Gazelle White – a clean and also a sought-after look, the white version of the classic sneaker also has its own iterations of its colorway.

Aside from the colorways mentioned above, the brand made sure to come up with other color choices for this vintage silhouette ensuring that there’s one available for whichever type of personality regardless of gender. This includes neutral shades like the Adidas Gazelle in grey or beige and the Adidas Gazelle in light grey or brown. Fun, colorful shades are also offered which include the Adidas Gazelle in yellow or purple as well as the Adidas Gazelle burgundy.

  The Difference between Adidas Gazelle OG and Adidas Gazelle

Since the inception of the iconic classic shoe, the Adidas Gazelle, it has been through various design iterations. One of the significant variations of the shoe is the one that is sometimes called the “Adidas Gazelle 2” which was released several years after the original. How does it differ from the Adidas Gazelle OG? Let’s break down the apparent differences between the two silhouettes.

The shape or the profile of the updated version can be quickly pointed out as the original Gazelle displays a more “pointed shape” from the heel to the front. It looks sleeker as well, but instances are that it may be a little narrow on foot. The original’s tongue is also shorter compared to the Gazelle 2. The branding on the two silhouettes also differs as the OG is constant with its gold branding. Also, the heel branding of the two shoes is different since the OG only presents the signature Trefoil Adidas logo while the Gazelle 2 has “Adidas” under the Trefoil branding on its heel.

Another difference is the toebox as the Gazelle OG looks much shorter and slimmer. The larger and wider toe box of the Gazelle 2 is considered favorable by those with wider feet. The price also differs for the two versions of the shoe. The OG is sold with a slightly higher price tag than the version 2. Weight also displays dissimilarity between the two silhouettes as the original model is much lighter compared to the Gazelle 2.