After the release of the Adidas Road Shoe, we look at notable
cycling shoe designs from the footwear giant in Bavaria with your
guide, Adidas archivist Martin Herde
Adidas has, for the first time in 15 years, released a brand new road cycling shoe.
Simply named The Road Shoe, the
Germans' new design of course sports the brand’s iconic three stripes
(made reflective) alongside a classic lace closure system. The shoe is
made from Adidas Primegreen, a 100% recycled material, in place of
leather.
For some, the entry of a big brand like Adidas into cycling may have sparked interest, but Adidas has a strong heritage in cycling history stretching back to the 1950s.
Having once supplied Eddy Merckx with its iconic leather cycling
shoes, the brand has a - somewhat intermittent - lineage that can
compete for kudos with anyone else in the footwear business. Below,
we take a look at Adidas' cycling history, from the earliest successes
to the abject failures, through to the last in the 2000s.
1956: Special Bicycle Racing
Where it all started
in 1949. Various incarnations of this shoe remained in the Adidas range
up until 1961, with just “minor changes of detail”, according to Adidas
achivist Martin Herde. “If the product worked, they didn’t change that
much.” Note the strengthening stitched-on leather panels front and side
to avoid toe-clips and straps cutting in.
1972: Rudi Altig
Following a decade without a
cycling shoe in its range, Adidas returned with the Rudi Altig, named
after the 1962 Vuelta winner and 1966 world champion. The company deemed
the then-retired German star to be a bigger draw than the alternative
for the home market. Elsewhere, Eddy Merckx’s name and face graced the
tongue of the shoe. “This model was developed by the French division of
the company,” Herde explains. “If I see Italian and French shoes from
that period, it is a similar look: perforated upper, shaped sole.”
1978: Eddy Merckx Competition
“It is exactly
the same model as the Altig,” says Herde, “but this is the best-known
one. The all-over breathable mesh upper was the revolution — it was new
back then. Merckx wore this shoe for the Hour Record in Mexico.”
1980: Special Track
An intriguing design, with
aerodynamics now coming into play — the three stripes are printed,
rather than sewn, and a tongue cover keeps the laces hidden from sight.
The super-stiff fibreglass sole is drilled with a rail system for
fine-tuning of shoeplate positioning, with the whole shoe being screwed
to the pedal. No danger of these shoes coming unclipped in the sprint…
1985: Special Cyclo Cross
Double world
champion Klaus-Peter Thaler helped develop these curious boots,
presumably for use in muddy conditions only. Adidas took the upper from
their successful Walter Röhrl rallying shoe, added a trail-running
rubber profile to the standard Eddy Merckx sole, and finished off with a
lace cover to keep out the worst of the mud. “A strange mix,” says
Herde, “but it worked very well.”
1987: STI Pedal
Now we reach what is
recognisably a forerunner of the modern cycling shoe, with a single
Velcro strap making its first appearance, only this one was an abject
failure, as it could only be used with one make of pedal. “Adidas
developed its own pedal system, at a time when Look really ruled the
market,” Herde explains. “It was horrible, to be honest. I tried it. It
didn’t work. In fact it was kind of dangerous — you couldn’t release the
foot!”
1992: Eddy Merckx Challenge / Eddy Merckx Pro
Many
were yet to make the conversion to clipless pedals by the early ’90s,
strange as that may seem. Adidas catered for the still-healthy shoeplate
market with these two models, which also featured the three-hole Look
mountings beneath the plates should they be required. “Before this,
shoeplates had to be nailed onto the sole,” says Herde. “If you got it
wrong, you were in trouble, whereas these cleats are screwed on and
adjustable. I think this is the best system for the toeclip set-up at
the time.”
1997: Vuelta
Kevlar-reinforced material gives
the two straps their yellowish tinge, while the sole is nylon with
carbon fibre. Adidas plays down its connection as kit supplier to Team
Telekom in the drug-fuelled ’90s, but this pair is unmistakably the same
as those worn by 1997 Tour winner Jan Ullrich. He’s even signed them.
“The holes in the sole do not go all the way through, but show the idea of the cycling shoe,” says Herde. For legal and licensing reasons, the greatest living cyclist’s name could no longer be used, hence the initials in the title. “But it’s a sneaker inspired by the Eddy Merckx cycling shoe,” Herde tells us. “It was a special edition which collectors still seek out.”
Currently the last in a long line, the Road SL features a ‘Fast Strap’ lacing system, combined with a rachet, while the limited edition Super Pro takes pride of place in Herde’s personal shoe collection. “The lacing system is the bringing together of the classic Merckx shoe but in a modern take: stripes on the heel, perforated leather upper — one of the most beautiful cycling shoes ever made. It looks super-cool but has all of the modern features you need.”