The ‘dad’ silhouette is obviously not dead

By Ray Zhang

Adidas, by my books, have not in the past year or so really pushed designs the way Nike has. Of late, the Three Stripes has no equivalent of the Nike React Element series or the Air Max 720. Their Boost cushioning tech has yielded some interesting silhouettes, but when I tried them on, they do not have the sleekness or wow factor that the shoes of their Oregon competitor constantly project.

When the Three Stripe’s Night Jogger caught my eye recently, I have to admit I gave in. There is certain vintage vibe about, not quite in the same vein as the Stan Smith, but still retro enough to communicate its old soul to me. The Night Jogger, as the name suggests, has the aesthetics of an actual shoe to run in, with none of the bombast of, say, the collaborations with Pharrell Williams or the campy Harden Vol. 3 “Imma Superstar”.

The Night Jogger was originally released in 1979 as a shoe runners can use in the dark. The upper was made of a leather that could reflect light, thus enhancing the safety of those who choose to take to the road to exercise at nightfall. With a studded gum sole, it too was a nod to running shoes of a certain lineage, such as the Sambas and Gazelles, only chunkier.

The latest iteration sport hi-vis detailing—your kicks will reflect light better when you run at night. The thing is, many people buy sneakers for anything other than using them on a track, or along Holland Road for, as the name suggests, a night jog. Adidas, therefore, gave it a 2019 makeover, which won’t be incongruous with your spiffiest threads.

Despite styling geared at the hipster than the runner, the shoe comes in rather odd, old-fashioned tongue that is akin to those of the original and less haute editions of Stan Smith. If you are not into splashy tech, you can still hold on to the sneaker’s retro vibe without forsaking modern dash.

Adidas Night Jogger, SGD220, is available at JD Sports. Photo: Zhao Xiangji