Manchester may be rightfully famous for its contributions to pop music, soccer, and modern industry, but when it comes to sneakers, the home of New Order, Ryan Giggs, and the Quarry Bank Mill is criminally underrated. That’s because, with the youthful terrace dwellers of Old Trafford and Maine Road as early adopters of the burgeoning ‘casual’ style, Manchester helped lead the way in defining the modern culture of the sneaker as fashion.

Among these discerning fans, the adidas ‘City Series,’ featuring casual, low cut silhouettes with suede uppers (soles could vary from simple gum rubber to the chunky polyurethane Trimm Trabb units), and named for various European locales was nothing short of must have.

While the original Austrian made, ‘80s city series didn’t feature a Manchester model, in 2002, a special edition shoe was produced around the city’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games. Sporting a sky blue, suede upper with red three stripe branding and a black gum sole, ensuring both halves of the city’s soccer fans were represented, the Manchester allowed this adidas loving city to take its place in the ranks of the beloved city series.

The Manchester 89 SPZL sees designer and adidas fanatic Gary Aspden update this iconic design. The colorway shifts to a City/United neutral dark blue, with sky blue and red shifting to the stripe branding, heel and inner lining. The suede upper borrows from another casual favorite in the Spezial handball shoe, with an asymmetric overlay, while reflective details serve as a subtle nod to the original, Austrian made city series.

If a size is not listed, it is sold out. 

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