Retrospect: Limited Edition adidas Classics
The limited edition White/Black adidas Copa Mundial has caused a huge stir this week but it's not the first time adidas have released LE editions of their most icoinc boot models. The brand's retro big-hitters, the adidas Copa Mundial and World Cup are no strangers to exclusive one-offs.
To celebrate 25 years of the Copa Mundial and 30 years of the World Cup, adidas launched a trio of limited edition boots each with unique details to make them the ultimate collectors items. The Copa Mundial 25th Anniversary boot was joined by the World Cup 66 and 78 as adidas celebrated huge landmarks for the world's best selling boots.
The first adidas Copa Mundial LE arrived in early 2007 as the brand acknowledged 25 years of their most decorated boot. The boot was marked with gold "Copa Mundial" printing rather than the standard silver print found on the original and was presented in a commemorative gift box with shoe conditioner, towel and shoe tree to preserve the shape. The tongue also differed slightly from the original design with a new logo paying tribute to the Copa's landmark year.
A year after the Copa Mundial celebrations came the adidas World Cup's 30th anniversary and with that came a highly limited edition release of the adidas World Cup 78. Only 1978 pairs were released and were presented inside a premium leather holdall containing boot brush, replacement studs, leather food, cloth and stud key.
Each pair was stitched with it's own identity number on the inside of the leather tongue, the words "World Cup 78" were stitched in gold along the side of the boot and six bright red studs were placed on the soleplate topping the boot off as one of adidas' most premium releases.
The adidas World Cup limited edition boots continued with a restricted re-release of the legendary 1966 World Cup. Easily one of our top ten favourite boots of all time, just 1966 pairs of the World Cup 66's were made and each pair featured a unique number on the heel tag. The tongue of the boot echoed that of the boots worn in 1966 by England's Geoff Hurst and Bobby Charlton with the fold over tongue making way for slighter one.
The most striking aspect of this limited edition release has to be the all blue soleplate and studs which complimented the insole and classic adidas Originals logo on the tongue. The 66 was topped off with gold printing on the outside of the boot to create an absolute beauty of a limited edition launch.
Football boots at their finest. We're not even going to ask you to pick a favourite, we've come to the conclusion that it's not possible. Do let us know what you think though. Join the conversation online, on Twitter and on Facebook.