size? x adidas Glasgow

The latest in the 'size? x adidas' collaboration series is the Glasgow trainer, which is scheduled for a release on the 4th September. In exactly the same fashion as the previous issues of this special series (London, Manchester and Dublin) the trainer will only see a limited release whereby only 500 pairs will be available to buy with each person restricted to one purchase.

As has become the norm with these releases, very few details were given away and speculation and rumours were rife on various forums and messageboards across the net. Some claimed that they would be blue and green in a nod to the city's two most famous football clubs while others speculated that they may well be released in 'Irn-Bru' colours. Size? only encouraged the speculation further by promising those who signed up to their newsletter a 'sneak preview' of the trainer.

This is all a load of bollocks, but as I said before this has become the norm with these size? releases. Why not just release a photo and allow people to decide whether they like them or not rather than trying to get more people signed up to your newsletter? The only explanation I can give is fairly simple and straight forward – they can afford to. No other retailer can gather as much hype and interest to their trainers than size? can. They have, in effect, cornered the trainer market.

Now all of this could have been forgiven had the trainer actually been any good. Well, now that I've seen the photos, I won't be forgiving them. In my humble opinion, they're absolutely vile. The white sole unit makes them look cheap and like something straight out of JD. Furthermore there's a horrific mismatch of colours which contrast rather than compliment one another. Sure, the shape of the trainer is okay, but this itself is based on the Spezial, one of adidas' most popular models.

It's all very lazy. The colours weren't a nod to the Old Firm or a popular Scottish drink (though I doubt this would have been much better in all honesty). Instead they were modelled on the Glasgow tartan and as you would expect with colours designed for being put on cloth in a pattern, they simply don't look very good on a trainer.

The adidas Glasgow also features scroll writing as opposed to the standard lettering. This is down to them being part of the new 'Signature' series and not 'City' issues but they just make the trainer look even more naff at the end of the day.

I could maybe understand collectors or people from Glasgow picking these up. After all, it isn't everyday adidas do a trainer based on your home city. But anyone picking these up for themselves might want to question themselves as to whether they would really be prepared to fork out £70 of their hard earned if these weren't a special release. I doubt they would in all honesty.

Could these look better with a gum sole? Maybe.

Could they look better in the flesh? Maybe.

This release (like the Dublin before) hasn't filled me with much hope for the next releases of the size? x adidas Birmingham and Cardiff trainers and I'm beginning to question when was the last time adidas released (not re-released) a decent trainer? I'm probably being harsh as I'm basing this all on one photo, but to be quite frank I'm a bit sick and tired of all this size? nonsense. As I said before, they may well look better in the flesh, but I for one will not be queueing from the early hours of the morning to find out.