Adidas Originals Review: Low Profile Sneakers for Easy Everyday Wear

My Gorgeous Gazelles

I nabbed these cute Gazelles for only €35/$40 in an Adidas outlet as they only had size 43 left. The ONE time I was glad to have big feet!

They're super cute and wider than they look - the unisex sizing probably helps. My big feet look super sleek in them. While blue isn't usually my colour, they called to me and go great with jeans. They're a perfect pop of colour and make me smile.

One thing I don't like is the plastic tongue which comes up quite high. It dug in a bit the first day I wore them. It's actually been fine ever since, but I always wear ankle socks. If you wear no-show socks tongue comfort could be an issue.

I've tried on other Adidas Originals styles which have a soft lined suede or leather tongue instead which feels much nicer - see below.

The Insoles Issue

My Gazelles are more comfy to walk in than I expected, but I'm wearing my orthotic insoles in them. They come with basic flat insoles with minimal cushioning and no arch support.

So if you need supportive shoes, you may need to upgrade your insoles. Amazon do a whole bunch of insole brands at reasonable prices. My partner likes Dr Scholl ones.

The one catch with Adidas Originals is any models I've seen don't have removable insoles - boo! I was able to remove my Gazelle insoles quite easily because they were lightly glued down with minimal cushioning.

But removing the insoles can be pot luck, depending on the material, how much they were glued & whether others have tried them on before you etc.

Given Adidas Originals are premium shoes, they really should come with removable insoles. This would make them more inclusive and long lasting. I've logged this as a feature request with Adidas.

SL 72 - Slender and Chic

The SL 72 OG have a retro sporty chic vibe with their white sole with accent stripe around it. They also have a soft lined tongue made of the same suede or leather as the upper, which is much nicer than the weird plastic tongue on my Gazelles.

However, they've no padding around the back heel and they're more narrow with a pointed toe shape.

So much so, Adidas have a modern SL 72 RS model with a more rounded wider toe box. The RS stands for reshaped, and the idea is they've tweaked their original 1972 shoe design to give you the retro look with modern comfort.

The SL 72 RS comes in fewer shades alas but is well worth trying if you love the look but need more wiggle room. They're on my shortlist for sure and I'll report back when I get some.

The SL 72 pair I tried were part of a special Adidas x Liberty of London collection I found on Zalando. These are women's SL 72 rather than unisex so they only go up to size 44 (9.5 uk, a generous 11 us women) so it's possible unisex SL 72 OG are a little wider and they also go right up to size 15.5 us women's / 13.5 uk / 49 eu.

Tip: I often find unusual sneakers on Zalando that have already sold out elsewhere - even if my size is gone, signing up to be notified of restocks often works quite quickly.

Handball Spezial - Extra Special

The Handball Spezial also has a lovely soft suede tongue, and felt the most comfortable to me. They're well named, because they are indeed a little bit special.

They feel extra premium, with lovely soft cushioning around the heel and a better insole with more cushioning under the heel.

The insole also has strong padding under the arch, giving quite high arch support, which could be a plus or minus for you.

The Spezials I tried had an unusual furry suede finish - they felt like a teddy bear! I fell head over heels for them instantly and only returned them because I have to wear custom orthotics now and one insole was too glued down to remove. I've my eyes peeled to hopefully get a good deal on a cute colourway ASAP.

I often used to look at slim Adidas sneakers & think there's no way my big feet would fit in those, and even if they did, I'd never be able to walk in them. So it's a revelation to find they do so many shoes in big sizes that are actually quite practical as well as pretty!

Sure, these are fashion sneakers, so you won't walk major miles in them. If your feet aren't fussy and don't need extra support, they're reasonably comfy as is. For extra comfort, either stick to the Handball Spezial or else hopefully succeed in swapping out the insoles for something better.

Bottom line: my big feet have never looked so neat. Even if low profile sneakers end up a passing trend, they've earned a permanent place in my wardrobe!