Taiwanese streetwear label INVINCIBLE has taken the adidas Handball Spezial through a process of deconstruction. 

A simple flat-soled sneaker, the Handball Spezial’s understated, retro look has made the shoe a perfect candidate to fill the Samba-sized hole left in the sneaker industry. And while INVINCIBLE’s collaboration stays true to that classic adidas look, it does playfully toy with the sneaker’s construction.

Emerging atop a simple white leather base is a variety of raw-edged panels: textured suede with fraying edges and jaggedly-cut leather. 

Purposefully scruffy, the unfinished panels aren’t always completely straight and are larger than usual in places. 

Releasing on March 1, this type of raw-edged finish is a new look for the adidas Spezial. However, for INVINCIBLE, this is the type of experimentation it often deploys across its many collaborations. 

Whether it be The North Face’s weatherproof outdoor gear, Carhartt’s rugged workwear, or New Balance’s grey-hued dad shoes, INVINCIBLE always finds a way to playfully reassemble its collaborator’s items.

This time, it’s a retro adidas sneaker chosen to go under the knife from INVINCIBLE.