When is an ugly sneaker not an ugly sneaker? The Adidas Falcon is an article of footwear that begs this question.
On one hand, it qualifies for the catch-all term used to refer to the unconventionally attractive retro or retro-inspired footwear that are so on-trend these days: Dad shoes, ’90s shoes, experimental avant garde shoes, and whatever the hell Kanye is wearing at this very moment. “Ugly sneakers.” Chief among them are the Balenciaga Triple S, the Raf Simons Ozweego, the New Balance 990, the Nike Monarch, and the Adidas Kamanda.
But despite falling squarely into this category at first glance, the Adidas Falcon actually isn’t ugly at all. It managed to combine everything we love about the idiosyncratic “ugly sneaker” trend into one great-looking whole. It’s chunky, it’s loud, it sports a lot of curvy lines, weird shapes, and odd angles—but it works. Check it out:
The Falcon has an upper made of suede and mesh, sitting on top of a lightweight EVA midsole with a midfoot torsion bar for stability. It looks and feels like a proper retro runner for the future.
