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UpperSuede
Released2020
ColourwayCollegiate Navy
Handball Spezial Collegiate Navy Clear Sky
Handball Spezial Collegiate Navy Clear Sky
DELIVERY AND AUTHENTICATION
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Culture Note™
Origin
Released on 26 August 2020 and part of the Handball line. This release has a suede upper in Collegiate Navy/Clear Sky/Gum. The Handball Spezial landed in 1979 as a serious piece of indoor sports equipment, adidas answering the handball boom across Germany and Scandinavia ahead of West Germany hosting the 1982 World Handball Championships. Court players wanted grip, a low profile and a heel that could survive constant pivoting, and the Spezial delivered all three. Then British football fans travelling to European away matches carried it home, and through the 1980s it became terrace uniform, picked in colours that matched the club badge. This Collegiate Navy and Clear Sky pair, style code BD7633, sits right inside that tradition: deep navy body, pale blue stripes, gum sole. It reads like a kit colourway because that is exactly where the idea came from. Buy the adidas Handball Spezial in India and you are buying four decades of that story.
Utility
Two easy recipes. Straight leg indigo denim with a cream or grey knit, hem just kissing the laces, lets the navy suede and gum sole carry the outfit. Or go tonal: wide black trousers, navy overshirt, and the clear sky stripes become the only bright line in the fit. On sizing, the Handball Spezial runs true to size for average width feet, and wider feet should take half a size up because the suede is snug across the toe box. Suede needs a routine: brush dirt off dry, use a suede eraser on marks, keep it away from direct water, air dry naturally away from heat, and hit it with protector spray before first wear. Baking soda left inside overnight handles odour.
Influence
The Spezial never stayed in sport. Through the 1980s it moved off handball courts into UK football casual culture and on into acid house and b-boy circles, one of the few silhouettes all three scenes agreed on. Its recent revival rode the same wave that put the Samba and Gazelle back on every feed, and the Spezial became the pick for people who wanted that low profile terrace look without reaching for the most obvious option. adidas built a whole sub label around the name, and the SPEZIAL exhibition, An Incomplete adidas History from a Fan's Perspective, drew contributions from Stone Roses singer Ian Brown and Noel Gallagher. Navy over gum is still the version most people picture when the model comes up.
Construction
The upper is dark blue suede, soft enough to break in quickly and to crease with character rather than crack. Light blue leather carries the 3-Stripes and the heel tab, so the contrast holds its shape long after the suede has softened. A white and navy tongue tag, gold foil branding on the sidewall and tonal laces and lining keep the detailing quiet. Underneath sits a gum rubber sole built for indoor courts: thin, low profile, and grippy on smooth surfaces, which is why it still feels planted on polished floors and city pavement alike. The cushioning is honest rather than plush, so you get court feel and ground contact instead of foam.
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Most asked questions
How we always
Guarantee the best prices?
Luxury marketplace
In luxury marketplaces, prices depend on demand — less popular items sell below retail.
Competition between sellers
Our 5,000+ verified sellers compete with each other, giving you the lowest prices.
Price comparison
We show you price comparisons across sellers so you always get better deals.
Helping sellers, helping you
We help sellers buy smarter inventory, so they can offer you better prices.
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