Adidas Samba And/or Gazelle

[MKAsok]

Anyone seen anywhere selling them? Suede ones, not leather. Preferably near BTS/MRT. Ta.

[Boater]

have you tried the addias shop?

[MKAsok]

have you tried the addias shop?

Which one? I've tried several. But thanks for suggesting the bleedin' obvious. It was most helpful.

[lazygourmet]

Anyone seen anywhere selling them? Suede ones, not leather. Preferably near BTS/MRT. Ta.

Last Christmas, I bought a pair of suede Gazelle at Central Pinklao.

Sport section on 2nd floor of the department store.

Unfortunately, clear beige is a wrong color for a city like Bangkok!

[MKAsok]

Cheers lazy. I occasionally use the Lotus over there, so I'll definitely check that place out next time.

[cloudbusting]

i'd also be interested in buying a pair of these

haven't seen them myself but will keep an eye out

[MKAsok]

i'd also be interested in buying a pair of these

It's strange how difficult it is to find them here since they're generally considered to be amongst the greatest of classics and the demand is definitely there. Adidas have always been acutely aware of the high 'fashion' value of their old school stuff, and they're obviously aware this kind of market exists in Thailand (or they believe it does), since they just opened that SLVR place in Siam (not old school stuff, but still aimed at the fashion rather than the sports market).

[TerryTibbs]

Anyone seen anywhere selling them? Suede ones, not leather. Preferably near BTS/MRT. Ta.

Don't know about Bangkok but I buy my clothes and trainers from here http://www.80scasualclassics.co.uk Worldwide delivery and never had any problems. As you probably know old skool gear comes up a little small so get the next size up, even the Gazelle 2's are a little tight. The holy grail for me though is the Gold Diadora Borg Elites I have a pair boxed never worn and wont wear them! proper football terrace classics from the 80's.

[rhythmworx]

Try central world in Chitlom.

[MKAsok]

Don't know about Bangkok but I buy my clothes and trainers from here http://www.80scasualclassics.co.uk Worldwide delivery and never had any problems. As you probably know old skool gear comes up a little small so get the next size up, even the Gazelle 2's are a little tight. The holy grail for me though is the Gold Diadora Borg Elites I have a pair boxed never worn and wont wear them! proper football terrace classics from the 80's.

Very nice site Terry. I remember a mate of mine telling me about that place a while back. He was one of the chaps interviewed by the author of Bloody Casuals, so he knows his onions. Yeah, don't blame you never wearing those Diadoras. Those things are the stuff of legend. I used to mostly favour Cortez myself at football. Looks like I might end up having to go the mail-order route, but would rather not because (as you pointed out) of the size issues with old school gear.

Try central world in Chitlom.

Tried there, thanks, but it was a while back. If you've seen any recently, please let me know.

[jcon]

Instant flashback!

I wore Gazelles w/ street clothes, Copa Mundials on the field, and Adilettes at any time in-between... That was THE set of gear to have...

in 1994

Then came the suede Pumas, then the suede New Balance 991s right around college-era... that about sums up the 'cool' footwear when I was 'coming up in the hood.'

The Gazelles/Sambas were good for dry pitch play, just messing around, you could get decent feel, as opposed to the chunky soles on other types of shoes... but now, I stick with the Nike Free collection... I just think they are the most comfortable trainers around (but give absolutely no stability - so not really trainers I guess...).

If you find real Gazelles, I'd like to know where you found 'em here in BKK... I wonder if I could pull them off at my current age But I think I would find them to be quite narrow now that I'm used to the uber-stretchy Frees...

Thanks for the memories...

[KhaoNiaw]

I've usually got my wheels from ebay.com. American dollar prices for the shoes are often half the pound prices in the UK, when it was two dollars to the pound the prices were great for Brits. And if you strike lucky you can pick up a bargain. If the postage rates are OK, it costs about the same as it would to buy them here - if you could find them.

Not bought any for a while but in the last couple of years I've had pairs of Samba 85, Spezial and Samoa from the US. Spezial is my all-time favourite but I find it difficult to keep the suede in good nick here. Any tips?

[StateSix]

There is an Adidas Originals in Central World. Not sure if you checked there as well as the standard Adidas stores. There is also a shop selling that gear between the Nike and Puma stores on the corner of Suk Soi 31. Just up the road from Phrom Pong BTS.

[MKAsok]

If you find real Gazelles, I'd like to know where you found 'em here in BKK... I wonder if I could pull them off at my current age But I think I would find them to be quite narrow now that I'm used to the uber-stretchy Frees...

Yeah, they're not as comfortable as 'modern' - i.e. rubbish-looking fashion atrocities - trainers. The price you pay for style I guess. Although, having said that, the most uncomfortable pair I'm currently sporting are a pair of Jordans I picked up in Atlanta. I think the most comfortable I've ever had were some Nike Prontos which are now falling apart and a boss pair of ACGs which I'm trying to preserve by not wearing anymore.

Not bought any for a while but in the last couple of years I've had pairs of Samba 85, Spezial and Samoa from the US. Spezial is my all-time favourite but I find it difficult to keep the suede in good nick here. Any tips?

Yeah, suede is hel_l here. I came originally out with 2 pairs of Gazelles and Sambas and they've taken a real hammering. The rainy season is murder. Leather fares much better. My leather Cortez are still doing pretty well.

There is an Adidas Originals in Central World. Not sure if you checked there as well as the standard Adidas stores. There is also a shop selling that gear between the Nike and Puma stores on the corner of Suk Soi 31. Just up the road from Phrom Pong BTS.

I'm pretty sure I've checked that one, and the one in Siam Center. Maybe I'm wrong, since I've looked in so many places, but I've definitely been in an Adidas store in Central World. I'll re-check both places. That place at Phrom Pong sounds like it's worth a look, thanks...

[jcon]

I think the most comfortable I've ever had were some Nike Prontos which are now falling apart <snip>

OH YEAH baby... those were the most comfortable EVER!!!! I bought 3 pair I loved them so much... but they would always start tearing at the back... in fact I think as of just last year I still had a pair that I had cut the back out of to make a half-shoe/half-sandal out of... The soles were so so so good... good call, those were hands down one of the most comfortable shoes ever made... (incidentally, wasn't the "Spasmotica" from the movie "Elizabethtown" basically a Nike Pronto in disguise?)

[MKAsok]

OH YEAH baby... those were the most comfortable EVER!!!! I bought 3 pair I loved them so much...

Any idea if you can still buy them? I'd love to get another pair of those. I haven't seen any for a few years. A google search yields nothing on them whatsoever...

[MKAsok]

jcon - just realised they're Prestos not Prontos. Brain freeze... My bad. No wonder I couldn't find anything on google. The dam_n things only have the letter P on them, thus the mistake. Anyway, the good news is they're set for a big comeback this year!

[darrendsd]

Thanks for the 80s casuals link.

Got my eye on a couple of tacchini tees already

[jcon]

MKAsok, yep PRESTO is right... pronto lol.... but yeah they just had the letter p on the tongue part...

Last pair I bought was on ebay back in grad school, so about 5-6 years ago... I haven't seen them since... I just just tossed the pair I made into sandals, tossed them in January after I used them for their final month in phuket... by then the soles had fallen off, they were a disaster, but I had white and light blue ones, and if I just bleached them, they were still nice and white... but they were worn... If i could turn back time, i'd buy a whole stock of them... dang I loved those...

well I'm off to sleep now... nice memories... and if you find a site with the Prestos, make sure you give me a heads up... cheers,

jcon

[MKAsok]

Thanks for the 80s casuals link.

Got my eye on a couple of tacchini tees already

That place really does have some proper clobber. Seems they almost managed to revive the Lois jeans company last year, but it never came off. Shame.

[TerryTibbs]

Thanks for the 80s casuals link.

Got my eye on a couple of tacchini tees already

A man with taste

The Lois Jumbo cords I used to get mine from Lewisham (black or navy) and soon as i got home cut the bottoms just like the picture, split them so you could see the trainer logo, a nice Lyle and Scott roll neck under a Pringle V neck jumper, hahaha those were the days! I still buy and wear a bit now, as for me, that was one of the most memorable parts of my life when the lads were fashion crazy all over the UK. Then it kind of went all down hill (fashion wise) in the late 80's early 90's everyone started getting all loved up (raving) and growing their hair long! Mind you that was a good era too but thats another story!

[MKAsok]

I still buy and wear a bit now, as for me, that was one of the most memorable parts of my life when the lads were fashion crazy all over the UK. Then it kind of went all down hill (fashion wise) in the late 80's early 90's everyone started getting all loved up (raving) and growing their hair long! Mind you that was a good era too but thats another story!

Hahahahaha... Yeah, you're right from a fashion point of view, it was truly awful. But some of my best memories of the old North Bank at Highbury were during '88 when the whole terrace was E'd up and jumping up and down singing "let's go fukcing mental" with people literally falling onto the pitch. It was a miracle the whole stand didn't collapse. Everyone being 'right on one' on the terraces brought about an amazing change at that time when compared with the rest of the '80s, where it was mostly "you'll never make the station" and "you're going home in a fukcing ambulance," though all that was brilliant in its own way.

[TerryTibbs]

How very true mate, I remember at West Ham in the old south bank singing Frankie Frankie Mcavennieeeeee lets all have a disco...everyone off their faces, that was certainly a changing time for British youth culture. Its been a real pleasure having this little chat about the 'good old days' its nice to have moments were you can reminisce the past. Good luck with your quest for some Gazelles and on a side note you probably know that Nick Love from Vertigo Films has finished filming 'The Firm 1984' the remake of the Gary Oldman film The Firm. Its released sometime this year apparently..... heres a 20 second teaser looks good, loads of proper clothes being worn back in the day.

Edited May 5, 2009 by TerryTibbs

[MKAsok]

^Cheers for that Terry. The Gary Oldman original is a great film. The Kevin Sampson book Awaydays has also been made into a film, out this month apparently, but somehow I imagine we're not going to get to see that here in Thailand (at least not at the pictures). Looks good though.