Adidas Munchen

About

The Adidas Munchen debuted in 1979 as part of Adidas's City Series, a lineup that paired archive sneakers with the names of European cities — this one honoring Munich, the Bavarian capital. Designed as an indoor training shoe, the Munchen paired a suede upper with mesh paneling, leather trim at the heel and side panels, and a serrated velour trim encircling the laces that echoed the three-stripe branding, finished with a gum sole for traction. Adidas added a high-top version in 1981, but production of the model ceased around 1984-85, after which original pairs became scarce and sought after by vintage-trainer collectors. Notably, the Munchen was manufactured exclusively in Japan under a special production license, a quirk that shaped its limited availability even during its original run. The silhouette returned to shelves in Autumn/Winter 2016 as part of Gary Aspden's Adidas Spezial project, and again in 2023 through a City Series revival made in partnership with Japanese retailer BILLY's, released in a two-tone brown and grey suede colorway priced at approximately $110. Decades after its debut, the Munchen remains one of Adidas's most collectible archive silhouettes.