Adidas SPZL SS25: Extra Northern, Extra Special
Allan Aspden, a late factory hand engraver from Darwen, Lancashire, is an unlikely muse for an international sportswear brand.
Nevertheless, he's now got his own Adidas sneaker.
How that happened: his son, Gary Aspden, is the curator of Adidas SPZL (the facet that appeals to the Football Casuals), and five years on from his father's passing, the creative mind has worked with The Three Stripes to honour is old man in the best way he knows how.
The A.Aspden SPZL is releasing as part of the sub-line's spring/summer 2025 collection and it comes complete with its namesake's signature.
It's a touching tribute that leads a team of six silhouettes, each inspired by the Adi archives.
There's the TRX Mesh SPZL which reinterprets a Seventies running shoe. It arrives in the OG silhouette's most iconic colourway: blue/yellow.
The Handball Spezial from 1983 has also been shaken up. The result should be referred to as the Handball Cup SPZL.
Another vintage rejig is of a “very rare” Made in Philippines sneak once known as the Adidas Squire, now more aptly named the Pampanga SPZL. (FYI, Pampanga is a province in the Philippines.)
The Failsworth SPZL could easily be mistaken for a new silhouette but it's actually predominantly based on the long overlooked Adidas Barbados model, blended with the T-toe component from the Universal SL and vintage colourways of the Made in France range.
Similarly, the Roelee SPZL melds the Whalley SPZL with the Gazelle SPZL.
In short, Allan is in blooming brilliant company – and that's true all the way through to the campaign.
After Aspden, there's a second billing: the Scouse actor appears in the SS25 campaign, excited to be involved since he has “always loved SPZL”.
The northern lad exclusively tells Esquire that he's “always admired Gary’s retro designs”, especially its associations to British football culture and the fact Aspden is “never afraid to embrace vintage designs and work them into a more modern aesthetic”.
Nelson-Joyce sports the sneaks as well as new SPZL apparel – including the spotlight piece: the lightweight nylon Halewood SPZL Parka – in the campaign.
It's shot by Kevin Cummins – a Mancunian, by no coincidence.
Adidas SPZL's spring/summer 2025 collection is launching on the Wednesday 26 March at an exclusive event in London's Adidas Carnaby store – you can sign up in the Adidas app while spaces last – before dropping online the morning after (Thursday 27 March).
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