Adidas
Manchester's having another big sneaker moment. Following Liam and Noel's own Adidas collabs, The Stone Roses x Manchester United x Adidas collection has now been unwrapped. It's pretty perfect timing, even if it's been nine whole years since the band last took the stage together.
Formed in Manchester back in '83, The Stone Roses played a huge role in the Madchester scene alongside other legendary groups like Happy Mondays, Inspiral Carpets, The Charlatans, James, and 808 State. Madchester would eventually go on to influence other movements like Britpop and alternative dance and electronic rock – so yeah, it was kind of a big deal.
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The Stone Roses x Manchester United x Adidas Tobacco ‘Crystal White’Adidas
In 2024, the band linked up with Manchester United and Adidas for a bunch of bucket hats and trackies. And now, two years later, the trio are back with some sneakers to match. The recently revived Tobacco is dripped out in ‘Crystal White’ suede with black accents hitting the tongue, laces, and collar. The Stone Roses' debut album is referenced on the insoles, and a lemon graphic can be found on the tongue – a nod to the 1968 Paris student riots where protesters sucked lemons to counter tear gas. It also comes with two extra pairs of laces and a lemon keychain that was made exclusively for this drop.
Then there's the ZX 600. Working on top of a ‘Core Black’ mesh base, it's overlaid by suede panels throughout. This features the same tongue branding as the Tobacco, but it's printed with Manchester United's logo on the insole.
After years and years of Samba and Gazelle collabs, it's great to see the German sportswear giant finally giving more niche silhouettes the spotlight. By shifting the attention to deeper cuts from the archive, Adidas is reminding people just how massive its back catalogue actually is. These lesser-known models don't come with decades of hype baggage, which gives collaborators more room to experiment and sneakerheads a chance to wear something that doesn't look like everyone else's trainers.
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The Stone Roses x Manchester United x Adidas ZX 600 ‘Core Black’Adidas
The Stone Roses x Manchester United x Adidas collection is scheduled to drop on January 15 at Adidas, the Confirmed app, and select stockists globally.