Almost exactly a year ago, the rock reunion to end them all was announced: Liam and Noel Gallagher, the long-estranged brothers and bandmates at the heart of Oasis, had buried the hatchet after some 15-odd vitriolic years apart. For generations of galvanized fans, the moment spawned immediate questions: Which other members would be joining the brothers on tour? What would the set lists look like? Was new music on the way? And among a very specific subset of those fans, the reunion especially begged one query above all: When are the sneakers coming?
The Gallaghers have long been some of the most visible ambassadors of Adidas, regularly taking the stage in Three Stripes shoes and threads. In the years since the band’s explosive breakup, both Liam and Noel have dropped signature shoes with the Stripes under the brand’s cult favorite SPZL label. Not to be confused with the popular Handball Spezial silhouette, SPZL specializes in reviving little-known silhouettes from the Adi archives as well as injecting some of that vintage flavor into modern models. They’re sneakers for the real Adidas sickos. Noel’s first Spezial collab in 2017 was a spin on the Adidas Garwen in navy blue pebbled leather. Not to be outdone, Liam dropped his own signature model—the LG SPZL—a couple years later in 2019. The frontman kept his foot on the gas in the years that followed, dropping two further entries in the LG SPZL line in 2022 and 2023.
This year, the boys are back with the Stripes for two new Adidas colorways to commemorate their return to rock’s main stage. Noel’s shoe offers a beautiful navy take on the Adidas Marathon silhouette. Liam, meanwhile, goes a bit wilder and weirder. He’s revitalized the Adidas Achille, an archival runner, kitting it out in a khaki mesh and suede with rich brown stripes and a beautiful beige sole. Both shoes feature the faces of their respective Gallaghers on the tongue.
