The Germany sporting giant dips into its archives for its latest forward-thinking collection.

Founded in 1924 by Mr Adolf “Adi” Dassler, and first branded as adidas 25 years later, the three-striped German sporting giant has a fair amount of baggage behind it, not to mention sneakers, tracksuits and other kit. In 2017 alone, the company produced 403 million pairs of shoes and 404 million units of sports apparel; last year, it was named the fourth biggest clothing label in the world.

But the brand that made the running spikes worn by US sprinter Mr Jesse Owens during his legendary 1936 Olympic victory is not resting on its laurels (or yannies, if you’re that way inclined). True to form, it’s quick on its feet and sprinting ahead with a series of innovative, bold new designs that embrace cutting-edge technology. Not only that, the company is revolutionising the way the manufacturing industry itself operates, with its fully automated Speedfactories in Ansbach in Germany and Atlanta, setting the template for the production of sports shoes in unprecedented volumes – entirely without human involvement.

When you’re turning visions of the future into a reality on such a massive scale, though, it can be easy to overlook what got you to where you are today. Thank goodness, then, for the likes of Mr Robert “Brooksy” Brooks. An avid collector of adidas paraphernalia, his knowledge is such that the sports behemoth actually goes to him to help find itself. Brooksy’s personal archive is a treasure trove of shoes and clothing styles that would otherwise be lost to time.

Under Brooksy’s guidance, the Spezial collection is a chance to dip into vintage sneakers and apparel, learn from the company’s history and adapt those products for the modern world. And while the shoes have long proved to be much-coveted items for sneakerheads, the wider apparel edits have increasingly become an event in themselves.

Taking cues from Brooksy’s hometown of London, the SS19 capsule unearths classic items that already feel part of the fabric of the current season, given the ubiquity of streetwear and 1990s fashion. But perhaps significantly, these are direct descendants of the pieces that made where we are right now possible. In short, each is a piece of history, but also very much of the present, and certainly points the way forward, too. These clothes don’t blend in, though – particularly with the bright-orange military-influenced field jacket in mind. This is a collection to turn to if you want to stand out.

“Study the past if you would define the future,” as Confucius once noted. And he lived a long time ago, so he must know.