The Story Behind Adidas Tubular

When Adidas first created the Tubular trainer in the 1980s, it was designed as a basketball trainer. Being a shoe very ahead of its time, it never really made it as a popular Adidas shoe before the turn of the century. However, Nic Galway, VP of designs for Adidas saw huge potential in the trainer when trawling through the archives. With the new technology now available, he worked to create the Tubular’s we see today.

They were named ‘Tubular’ because of the outsole design, which is modelled after the tubing of car tyres. This is to give the shoe more traction and grip, and to do this there was nothing better than a car tyre to use as inspiration. 

Tubular’s now have many sub-styles, and come in low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise. Making them Adidas’ most versatile trainer yet. The Tubular range now includes Viral, Nova, Radial, Runner, Defiant, X, Doom and Mi Tubular’s. Each trainer is unique in its own way, with the ability to personalise your trainers also available within the range.

Low-Rise Tubulars

Tubular Viral are a sleek, low-cut trainer modelled on the Adidas runner archives. They feature stretch mesh and an elastic strap across the forefoot for comfort. This is combined with a debossed leather heel and webbing back strap for a completely original design. Tubular Nova follow suit with the Viral design, pushing the boundaries for streetwear with eye-catching glow-in-the-dark details.

Mid-Rise Tubulars

Tubular Radial are mid-rise trainers, inspired by the aggressive designs of the 90s. They are designed with a sock-like construction, and a high tongue for a unique look. These lace up shoes are made up of a rubber sole, with a soft material and suede upper. With a thinner version of the three stripe logo visible on each side, attached to the laces. Tubular Runner model a similar style, combining foundational elements with contemporary overlays.

Tubular Defiant is built with a slimmer silhouette, creating a more feminine look to the shoe. Adidas contrast this by using sharp edges and bold colours, giving Defiant’s an even more eye-catching look. This angular design was continued in the Tubular X range. They use bold panelling to highlight contrasting materials and colours. Both these shoes were designed for streetwear, being very popular additions to the catwalk.

Mi Tubular’s are definitely the most unique trainer in the Tubular range, as they allow you to completely design the shoe yourself. You can choose from a wide selection of colours, design your upper, change the laces and add a message or your name to the shoe. This means that any pair of Mi Tubular’s that are out there are all completely special, and is a real branding point for the Tubular range.

High-Rise Tubulars

Tubular Doom are a whole new frontier of footwear design, combining the trainer with socks. The stretchy, slip-in sock is anchored to the trainer by the heel strap, providing a very distinctive silhouette.

Tubular is definitely one of Adidas’ most unique shoes. Numerous styles are available in various colours including white, blue, green, black and more. There’s definitely something for everyone in the Tubular range!

If you want to shop Mainline Menswear’s extensive range of Adidas Tubular shoes, visit our website here, where we stock several of the different styles of trainer in a range of diverse colours.