adidas Rivalry Hi

• MODEL: ADIDAS RIVALRY HI
• TYPE: BASKETBALL
• MADE IN: INDONESIA
• MADE ON: 11/12
• ART.NO: G96546
• FACTORY: PCI 789002

With all the buzz around the release of the Rivalry Pack, sneakerheads already have their favorite of the four leather shoes in mind, ready to pick them up the second they drop. But while the more traditional pairs have drawn the attention, it’s allowed this particular pair to slip under the radar.

It’s not uncommon to see adidas experiment with the construction of their retros, many times deviating from the expected or traditional materials as they’ve done here. However that’s usually after the re-released model has been around for a while. With the OG Rivalry – more frequently referred to as the Ewing, or more specifically the Ewing II – only being retrieved from the grave less than a year ago for the adidas Originals Store’s 10th Anniversary celebration, they might have jumped the gun on this sweet suede version.

Now we’ve no confirmed drop date, and these weren’t officially announced for release with the four pairs from the Rivalry Pack for Fall and Winter of 2013 (featuring two high tops and two low cuts), but all the same it could just be too early to push the silhouette out on store shelves.

One might ask, in regards to the suede job on these: what’s the difference? And for those that are new to the model, from what we know, the Rivalry or Ewing was never produced with such an upper. Back in the ’80s it was most common for adidas basketball shoes to be forged out of a nice, crisp leather, a traditional design tactic that can be seen on the Ewing II’s (a variation of the OG Rivalry that is nearly identical in shape and build). And so far the Rivalry retros have only included the scarcely produced New York Anniversary’s and the ‘Knicks vs. Bulls’ colorways from adidas’s Consortium team, all of which were low tops. Thus you can see the abruptness presented by these showing up in sample form at the same time that a high top re-release is finally announced. It’s like the difference between meeting a movie star and the movie star’s stunt double. Of course you’re going to choose to meet the real deal, but little do you realize that the stunt double is a unique individual. And in this case, he’s composed of an elegant all navy suede upper.

So with that in mind, I’d urge people to at least take a look at this pair before making your decision to have the same kicks as every single one of your friends, all trying to relive that authentic, adidas Originals, OG style, because maybe suede – though unorthodox as it is – the most truly unique way to go?

written by Kyle Zemborain

photography by errol