Adidas’s New Retro Sneaker Has All the Makings of a Proper Classic

Made in collaboration with an Australian retailer, the latest addition to the Three Stripes catalog has its origins in the 1950s.

Up There

Add Gear Patrol as a Preferred Source on Google

By Jack Seemer

Published January 28, 2026

·

If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

London, Dublin, Malmö and more — for collectors and sneakerheads, these aren’t just dots on a map. They also refer to the myriad designs that make up Adidas’s longstanding City Series.

Now, some 70 years since the inaugural shoe, the beloved collection continues to grow, this time by way of a collaboration between Adidas and Australian retailer Up There.

Pair of white Adidas sneakers with dark green stripes, beige suede accents, and gum rubber soles. — Made in collaboration with Australian retailer Up There, the Melbourne is a limited-edition addition to the longstanding City Series.

Back from the Outback

Dubbed the Melbourne, this model takes inspiration from a 1950s track spike that debuted at the Melbourne Olympics.

Reference points range from the green-and-white colorway to a slim suede collar, a unique feature absent elsewhere in the Adidas Originals inventory.

The shoe features a handful of reference to a 1956 track spike that debuted at the Melbourne Olympics, including a slim suede collar.

Up There

As for the mesh upper, Up There cites a vintage example of Australian tennis player Rod Laver’s signature Adidas shoe as the jumping off point.

White mesh Adidas sneaker with green leather stripes and beige suede accents, shown from the side. — The mesh base is modeled after Australian tennis player Rod Laver’s signature Adidas shoe.

Considered by many to be one of the greatest talents in history, Laver remains an integral part of Melbourne’s sport heritage.

(Fans visiting Melbourne Park for the Australian Open, for example, can find a statue of Laver outside his namesake arena.)

White sneaker with green leather stripes, beige suede accents, and green insole labeled "CONSORTIUM. — Up There matched the tongue to a vintage example of the Roma, the first shoe in the City Series.

The new shoe also features a vintage foam tongue modeled after the Roma, the first sneaker in Adidas’s City Series.

All in all, it’s an expertly refined introduction to the lineup, marked by the kind of attention to detail usually reserved for the brand’s Made in Germany sneakers.

Three white Adidas sneakers with green stripes and accents, gum soles, and different colored laces (white, green, white) on a white background. — The shoe comes with three difference laces.

Two pairs of shoelaces, one white and one dark green, with green aglets labeled "UP THERE" on a light background. — Green, off-white and bright white give the shoe a different complexion.

Availability and pricing

The Adidas x Up There Melbourne goes on sale in-person January 29, exclusively at Up There’s retail space in Melbourne, Australia. An online sale will follow on January 30.

The shoe features cobranded insoles.

Up There

The model costs $158 and the retailer recommends going up half a size.

White and green Adidas sneaker with suede accents and gum sole, side view.

Adidas x Up There Melbourne

$158 at Up There

About the Author:

Jack Seemer is the executive editor at Gear Patrol, with over a decade of experience in product journalism. He currently reports on a wide range of topics, including footwear, watches, EDC, cookware and more.

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.