Vintage Ad: adidas Torsion Running Shoes

Today we have a look at two adidas Torsion running shoe ads from 1989.

words & images // Zack Schlemmer

Today brings you not one, but two vintage ads for both the men's and women's adidas Torsion ZX 8000 running shoe.  Torsion was a technology that adidas introduced in the late 1980's and early 90's that helped the foot to move more freely by allowing the forefoot and heel to move independently while providing arch support.  All Torsion footwear was characterized by the yellow "Torsion Bar" on the outsole of the shoes.

In these cool Andy Warhol-esque ads we see the ZX 8000, a classic adidas running shoe, in its bright and funky 90's colors.  As far as running shoes go, sneaker culture focuses mainly on Nike's back catalog, so it's nice to see ads like this to remind us that there were other great running shoes out there.