adidas Rivalry Hi

• MODEL: ADIDAS RIVALRY HI
• TYPE: BASKETBALL
• ART.NO: G96539

With all the runners being released in 2013 it’s nice to see some basketball trainers thrown into the mix as well.

Or rather, slam-dunked into the mix, you could say, when you look back and consider what dropped: multiple Mutombo retros, the Pro Conference is back, even the lesser-known Enforcer returned to the arena, and with mastermind JAPAN’s final touch on the Trefoil tribe we’re seeing the return of the Rivalry Hi.

Thankfully too, because after teasing us with the birthday pack Rivalry Low, followed shortly by the various Consortium versions, we were getting pretty anxious to see the true high top legend step back into the ring. Sure, there’s been a whole slew of regular Conductors, Consortium Conductors, collaborative Conductors, even off-shoot experimental stuff like taller felt or winterized Conductors, but nothing quite says Patrick Ewing throwback like a true to form Rivalry Hi.

And on that subject of OG and what’s to come, we find it fantastic that they’ve blasted out this colorway, one quite similar to the OG white and grays from times past. But this won’t be the last we’ll see of the almost monochrome palette, in fact the German Sneakerqueen, Julia Schoierer, has been selected as one of five worldwide collectors to participate in adidas’ Collector’s Project and guess what she’s bringing back to the court?

That’s right folks: OG goodness. So while the pair pictured here might not be exactly identical to the numero uno hoop shoes you old timers remember from way back when (such as the alternative materials and color used on the side stripes), at least they’ll tide you over until you can really relieve your nostalgic woes with a pair of Sneakerqueen’s squeaky cleans.

written by Dylan Cromwell

photography by errol