adidas Torsion Integral S

• MODEL: ADIDAS TORSION INTEGRAL
• SERIES: ADIDAS CONSORTIUM
• PACK: ADIDAS X SNEAKER FREAKER 'DOWN UNDER UP OVER' PACK
• TYPE: RUNNING
• DESIGNED BY: Sneaker Freaker
• MADE IN: VIETNAM
• MADE ON: 11/13
• ART.NO: M22415
• FACTORY: SHW 675001

Since 1992 the Torsion Integral S has yet to be revived and the lucky lads over at Sneaker Freaker were the first to help adidas push retro pairs to the marketplace.

This seems to be the trend recently; drop the retro runner for the first time ever by uniting with another brand, designer, or in this case, a magazine crew. Only a month after the release of the actual OG colorway (among a silver pair and purple pair as well) adidas Consortium worked with the Sneaker Freaker (SF) team to release what they’re affectionately calling an ‘upover-downunder marriage’ due to the similarities chosen between both pair (and of course, the colloquialism referring to Australia: the ‘Down Under’).

As their first ever collaboration with adidas the team at SF wanted to go big, and they began their work with a black midsole, speckled for holiday spirit with flecks of color, and topped it off with some wonderful black suede and mint nubuck, mixing in a bit of grey leather to finish things off. Hidden underneath the shoe is the mark of the designer (Woody himself), a bright red Torsion bar to symbolize SF’s chosen logo color. More SF branding appears on the sockliner and at the back of the Consortium eyelet that appears on the top of the tongue.

The additional pair matches in aesthetics and style, but boasts a different colorway, one that some may call more feminine. Designed by Otto and the team at adidas Consortium, this pack reminds us very much of the way adidas approached Solebox for their take on the revived Torsion Allegra back in Winter of 2012.

Officially the global launch hit off one week before the release of the other, non-collabortive retro pairs, on the 7th of November, 2013, at Doomsday Store in Fitzroy, Australia. But now, having released internationally just before the holidays (on December 21st of 2013 in Germany), the SF-designed colorway sold out quickly and seems to be only available for slightly inflated prices online. So if you didn’t get one for yourself, and didn’t receive one from a friend or family member during the holidays, then you’d best put on your hunting gear and get lookin’!

written by Dylan Cromwell

photography by errol