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Holy Cross | Style > Fashion

My Review of the Adidas Spezials

Meredith McDonough Student Contributor, College of the Holy Cross
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Holy Cross chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Last summer, I decided that I wanted a new pair of shoes to be added to my summer rotation; my classic Nike Air Force 1s and Hoka Clifton 9 sneakers are pretty “basic” shoes that were both getting quite a lot of use, so I knew I wanted to change things up a bit. With this being said, I succumbed to the latest trend and decided to buy a pair of Adidas.

I was unsure of whether I wanted Gazelles, Sambas, or Spezials, all of which have been popular and are available in a wide variety of color combinations, but after some searching, I decided on the Handball Spezial Shoes in Collegiate Navy/Clear Sky. Blue is my favorite color, so I knew this shoe was the one!

When the shoes arrived in the mail, I loved the way they looked as soon as I tried them on! They are the perfect shoe to add a pop of color to a casual outfit, especially if you are wearing neutral colors. Even though the shoes look great on (and run true to size), they unfortunately don’t have much support. While this isn’t necessarily a problem for me, I know it can be an issue for many others.

Taking this into consideration, I would consider the Spezials to be a bit steep in price; they currently ring in at $110, so I would recommend considering how much you value aesthetics over comfort. Since it’s safe to say that the majority of younger consumers of the shoe can tolerate some potential discomfort, Spezials are most popular amongst juveniles, which is another factor to take into account.

Overall, I would recommend the Spezials if your main priority is to add some flair to your outfits! From personal experience, I’m sure you will feel flattered after the amount of compliments you’ll receive. However, if you’re looking for a particularly comfortable shoe, I’d take a different route. Happy shopping!

Meredith McDonough

Holy Cross '26

Meredith is a senior from Woburn, MA who enjoys writing, dance and spending time with friends!