Everything You Need To Know About The PUMA Vlado Stenzel Trainer

The PUMA Vlado Stenzel trainer is an OG handball trainer which was endorsed by the Croatian handball goalkeeper & coach, Vlado Stenzel.

When it came to the competitive nature of Adi Dassler & his brother Rudolph, it was pretty fierce. Pretty is probably a bit of an understatement. The two Dassler brothers battled it out on the tracks, the football pitches, the dugouts & even the handball courts of West Germany. It was all about who could create the best performance shoes for a range of sports whether it was for high jump or handball. The fact was no matter what sport it was the Dassler brothers would try their very hardest to "one up" each other whether it was athlete endorsements or the very latest performance technology. Something likes the adidas Handball Spezial equivalent to Rudolph Dassler, the PUMA Vlado Stenzel trainer was designed for the super speedy handball courts of Europe. It might have looked like any other gum soled PUMA trainer of the time, but don't be fooled. The Vlado Stenzel was for the pros and was endorsed by one of the greatest handball players of all time. Above: The PUMA Vlado Stenzel trainer in navy/white now available from 80s Casual Classics. Just like football in the UK, handball was big business in Germany and other parts of Europe in the 1970s & 1980s. Step foot into any Wettb'ro (betting shop) in Berlin nowadays and its pretty clear the sport is still just as big today. Unlike football however, handball required a slightly different approach as far as the trainers were concerned. Handball is generally played indoors on the classic "sports centre" style hard floors. A performance shoe made solely for handball was all about traction and speed. PUMA gave us the Vlado Stenzel in 1978 which was closely followed by the adidas Handball SPEZIAL in 1979, the two are arguably some of the most celebrated handball trainers of all time. Above: The PUMA Vlado Stenzel trainer in navy/white now available from 80s Casual Classics. Endorsed by the Croatian born handball goalkeeper & coach, Vlado Stenzel, the gum soled handball trainer was originally available in navy leather & featured the iconic T-toe detailing to the front with perforations throughout for extra breathability on the humid handball courts. After wining a gold medal with Yugoslavia at the 1972 Olympics and another gold medal with West Germany at the 1978 Olympics, Stenzel went onto coach the Yugoslavian national team. Originally made in West Germany, the PUMA Vlado Stenzel's grippy gum sole was a key to Stenzel's success on the European handball courts. Above: The PUMA Vlado Stenzel trainer in navy/white now available from 80s Casual Classics. The PUMA Vlado Stenzel trainer now returns in true OG form with an updated suede version of the speedy handball trainer from the late 1970s. Featuring the iconic T-toe detailing, perforations and of course Vlado Stenzel's signature in silver foiling to the sidewalls, the super suede silhouette is a must have style for the retro trainer fans. Finished off with the signature grippy gum sole unit, the Vlado Stenzel might even make you want to head down to your local centre and start a handball team! If handball isn't your thing they'll still look the business with a pair of jeans for that classic casual look. Shop the Vlado Stenzel trainer now from 80s Casual Classics via the links.