Everything You Need To Know About The adidas Earlham Trainer

The adidas Earlham trainer is an archive inspired silhouette which gives a nod to the Gaea 950, a Japanese exclusive from the 1980s.

As die hard 3 stripes enthusiasts and fans we all probably owe quite a lot to Gary Aspden and his Spezial line. The exclusive adidas line has certainly done its fair share, as far as reviving classic & lesser known models from the 3 stripes archives goes. The adidas Padiham, the adidas Indoor Super, the adidas Grand Slam, the adidas Boston, the adidas New York, the adidas Broomfield, the adidas Handball Spezial & the adidas Lacombe to name a few, all started the first chapter of their revival story as part of the carefully curated SPZL line. Re-igniting archive models with modern trainer technology tweaks, sometimes even hybrid models, is what the SPZL line has done so well since its inception back in 2014. Another one of them original Spezial 3 stripes releases from the archives is the adidas Earlham trainer which now arrives at 80s Casual Classics. Above: The adidas Earlham trainer in white now available from 80s Casual Classics. Like the majority of the SPZL releases, the Earlham gets its inspiration from the 3 stripes archives, something like the Buddhist equivalent of Nirvana to the die hard adidas fan. Drawing inspiration from classic adidas tennis trainers like the Stan Smith, the Earlham is an archive inspired hybrid design. The main inspiration of the shoe actually comes from the adidas Gaea 950, a Japanese exclusive from the 1980s. Also released as a French exclusive there's not really a lot known about the Gaea 950. Some models were 'Made in Taiwan' as an exclusive for the Japanese market and featured perforations to the toe box and sidewalls, similar to the Forest Hills of the same era. OG models were usually in an off white/cream colourway with contrasting white 3 stripes to the sides and heel tab. First released in the early 1980s, the classic court shoes was revived as the Earlham courtesy of Gary Aspden in 2019. The name Earlham gives a nod to London's very own Earlham Street market in Covent Garden. Above: The adidas Earlham trainer in white now available from 80s Casual Classics. The archive inspired tennis trainer now arrives at 80s Casual Classics in all its OG glory. Featuring a soft premium leather uppers & perforated leather 3 stripes to the sides. Gaea 950 inspired perforations feature to the toe box & sidewalls alongside original trefoil branding in gold to the tongue tab & heel. Other highlights include an off-white rubber sole unit which gives a nod to the original Gaea 950 colourway alongside Earlham branding in gold foiling to the lateral sides for that ultimate retro court shoe aesthetic. Shop the archive inspired adidas trainer now at 80s Casual Classics via the links.