Solebox x adidas Torsion Allegra

• MODEL: ADIDAS TORSION ALLEGRA
• SERIES: ADIDAS CONSORTIUM
• DESIGNED BY: Solebox
• MADE IN: VIETNAM
• MADE ON: --/12
• ART.NO: Q21368
• FACTORY: SHW 675001

Solebox is Germany’s most well known one-stop sneaker shop located in the capital city of Berlin. It has every shoe worth having, from rare PUMA Discs to the high fashion Y-3 works of art. Not only does the boutique sell all these exotic and unique shoes, one of the founders, Hikmet Sugoer, tries his hand at designing some of them himself in collaboration with powerhouses like adidas and PUMA. And he seems to have succeeded in bringing out-of-the-box ideas for almost every pair in a box they’ve released at Solebox so far.

Their most recent work with the Consortium series resulted in one half of a Torsion Allegra duo that is beginning to revive the Allegra dynasty created during the Barcelona Olympics in ’92. Sneakerheads waited in the cold outside the Solebox store like kids waiting to open their presents on Christmas morning in hopes of getting their hands on a pair of these ladies. Hopefully their cravings left them wanting more because 2013 is full of Torsion Allegras following in the footsteps with more classic 90s colorways.

While the lighter hued version reignited the trend for the 90s colors on the shoe, this pair follows in the trend of the lime green and red that Solebox seems to use quite often. It reminds me of a more practical, low-cut, and modest version of a certain rapper’s signature sneaker that was released less than a year before these, also at Solebox, but this one doesn’t give me flashbacks of having to see Kanye wear a kilt on stage.

Although it does have laces, it’s actually an incognito slip-on shoe with the tongue attached to the upper all around. The solution to having no more crooked tongues while keeping style has been in front of us for twenty years and we just didn’t realize it: just put the shoelaces over the slip on. Stepping into this magical shoe is basically like stepping into a cloud. It has a sock liner made of neoprene, the same soft material that diving suits are made of, and a white midsole that might as well be made of marshmallow. The combination is something of a miracle harnessed by overlays of mesh and nubuck.

Sure, I can speak my thoughts and drop some knowledge about the history of the shoes, but truly I can only tell you so much about them. There’s no better way to get inside the mind of the shoe than getting inside the mind of the maker. That’s why we’ve asked Hikmet to step into the eatmoreshoes lounge so he can fill in a few blanks we have on the release.

It’s nice of you to join us. First of all, how’d the release go?

Perfect! We had a lot of fun and the best part: we are sold out!

That’s always good to hear! It seems this model is a success. How and why did you choose to work on the Allegra model?

We love runners. And the Allegra is new to the adidas Originals range. So we put our heads together and worked on this project.

Who were the lead brains behind each pair?

One colorway is made by me for Solebox and the other is made by the Consortium team.

I think we can all tell which one was made on your part. The mint green pair has Solebox written all over it, both metaphorically and literally. About the materials, did you pick the neoprene or is this a traditional material for the Allegra?

The neoprene lining was common in the 90s for sports shoes. The Allegra back then had this kind of lining, so we worked from that point on.

Keeping it authentic, much understood. About the structure, I believe your versions are made as ‘slip-on’ shoes unlike the other 2013 versions. So what made you decide to choose this structure?

Actually, the OG version is like this. I have a picture of the OG Allegra, which the retro is based on. The 2013 inline versions are the ones that do not have this structure.

I can see the inspiration for the Consortium team’s colorway. And thanks for clearing that up. On a personal note: Would you and Sükret personally wear these two pairs of shoes?

We are wearing all of our shoes. To be honest, that is the main reason for having the shop and working on collabs. To have our own shoes… [laughs]

Haha, smart thinking there. I think we can all relate to dreaming of having an infinite pair of shoes. I know I can… With all that in mind: Overall, how do you feel about the outcome of these two pairs?

Great. They are comfy and good looking. A good mixture.

I hear ya. You can never go wrong with that combination. Lastly, I’ve heard Solebox is going to open stores worldwide. Can you tell me if this is true?

That is our aim. The future will tell.

Well put. Short and sweet. Well thanks for putting in the time to drop a little knowledge on the collab. We really appreciate it here at eatmoreshoes. And good luck on all your future releases and ambitions. I think we can all agree the shoe was successful in every aspect. As for the footwear freaks out there, if you want to learn a little more about the soul behind Solebox, check out our other interview with Hikmet regarding the store.

written by Kyle Zemborain

photography by errol