adidas Vienna (Made in West Germany)

• MODEL: ADIDAS VIENNA
• SERIES: ADIDAS CITY SERIES
• MADE IN: WEST GERMANY

Now most self-proclaimed ‘true’ trainer connoisseurs would likely whiplash in horror at the statement that most of the adidas City Series shoes look the same. It’s true, the subtle differences aren’t necessarily so arbitrary once you’ve been bit by the trainer bug and blessed with the inability to not throw all your hard earned dough out the door for ancient (sometimes even stinky) shoes. But, alas, in order to avoid a state of sneaker elitism, we must admit that not everyone fits that category and for those more ‘regulars’ out there it helps to point out the bigger differences.

It’s generally safe to say that all the original City Series releases were low cut silhouettes that became terrace classics and were sought after for casual wear more than sports use. As I’ve mentioned above, depending on your persona, one could claim that many of the models fit a similar mold with minor changes in the upper, toe area, tongue, or eyestays. A large majority of the City Series kicks had gum (or otherwise flat and simple) sole units.

While others may have evolved over time too, it’s this area where the Vienna differs. As you can see, the sole unit is layered and tooled quite differently than a majority of the other City Series pieces. The West German made pair pictured here is actually just about identical to the Yugoslavian Vienna we’ve previously featured, in regards to shape and design. But this body was not always in place, with other (seemingly earlier) versions produced with a much simpler and flatter sole unit that is incredibly similar to that of the other City Series models.

Besides the sole, I must mention another important difference, and that’s the toe patch, reinforced for more durability. In other versions this area is only covered with a single layer, not two as shown on these and the Yugo’s.

These features help the Vienna really stand on it’s own, however that doesn’t make it completely isolated, sharing a similar anatomy to that of the adidas Rom, another pair from the infamous and highly coveted City Series.

written by Dylan Cromwell

photography by errol