The Historic adidas ZX Series

adidas began the ZX Series of trainers in the late eighties but little did they know it would become the vast collection of classic designs it is considered to be today. During this era, they brought to life a number of highly technical designs over a 5 year period which would remain until the present day and lead the way for the popular modern ZX Flux trainer. True to adidas’ athletic heritage the ZX Series began with running shoes that transcended the way these types of shoes were made forever more.

ZX 500 was the first of its kind when released in 1984 and it’s a shoe which brought about an industry-wide change in the perception of how a running shoe should look. This gave it a much more stylish appearance, the type which people would be prepared to wear with their everyday ensembles too. It has been recreated in so many different colourways, collaborations and fabrics that it has almost become a series in itself. Some have recently been available at Mainline Menswear.

ZX 600 was another highly technological shoe made slightly later in the eighties- as were the ZX 700 and the ZX 800– at a time when adidas were aiming to challenge the Nike Air Sole system which was receiving a lot of attention. The 600 was made until 1988 when it was replaced by the Torsion trainer which is also in the Mainline Menswear collection. Even though the technology of these shoes is no longer considered as cutting-edge or indeed relevant to the world of sport, adidas released them in 2007 to the delight of retro style aficionados who contributed to an increased demand for them once again.

ZX Flux is the most recent edition to the ZX family and it is a celebration of the history of the collection, of which the models within it are widely considered archetypal training shoes. The silhouette offers a fusion between modern innovation and everything great about the vintage ZX series to create a comfortable and practical shoe in line with the tastes of a modern fashion consumer. This approach is symbolized by the experimental upper designs which feature on the new limited edition ZX Flux trainers “City Lights“, “Mythology” and “Trees” all-over photographic prints.

ZX Flux is an evolution of the former greats in the adidas collection which is both forward-thinking and in keeping with some of its predecessor’s greatest qualities such as the Torsion bar and the iconic heel cage. The shoe’s bold appearance and imaginative prints are designed to show that anything is possible in terms of design and reinvention. It does also have brand new features too though and one of the most noticeable aside from the lightweight construction and feel of the shoe is the one-piece upper as opposed to traditional designs which would be stitched together from multiple pieces. The Flux is the first in the whole ZX series to be designed as an original to bridge the gap between athletic performance and street-ready style.

Take a look at some of the archived ZX trainers below:     

There are 22 shoes in total that make up the ZX Series and the unique thing about them is that they are designed for anybody, any style and any level of athletic ability. adidas designed the shoes to cover everything from road, track and basically all terrains possible for everyone from Sunday joggers to competitive long-distance runners, ZX would have something for everyone, offering different quirks for each need- whether that be an adjustment to weight, cushioning, padding, rubber or heel stiffness.

Part of the reason these shoes are so popular once again today is because of the notoriety they had in the eighties era and it is evidenced by the fact they began with the hundred editions (00’s) before moving into the thousands (000’s) and plenty of odd numbers in between.

The ZX series is so popular that adidas has introduced the mi ZX Flux campaign, allowing people to design their own Flux uppers for a customised shoe.