One of the many advantages of wearing slides is that you don’t have to deal with the fiddly inconvenience of tying laces. However, that is not the case with adidas’ latest pair of slip-ons, the Gazelle Beach Slide. 

This highly unconventional hybrid takes adidas’ signature Gazelle sneaker and turns it into a beach-appropriate pair of slides leaving the main features of the shoe intact — laces ’n all. 

Effectively, it takes the middle portion of the classic sneaker (including the tongue, adidas’ signature three stripes, and the laces) and chops off the front toe area and the heel. This upper is then transported to a cushioned sole unit typical of a pair of slides. 

The final result is a sneaker-fied sandal that’s unlike any other pair of adidas' slides I’ve seen. However, to my surprise, it’s not a new invention, these sneakers have a history that traces back to the ‘90s.

The slides are a bit of a niche collector's item that adidas’ sporadically re-releases. And this time it’s flooding the market with the sneaker-slide hybrid by releasing seven new colorways. These are available to shop in Asia through adidas’ website and Japanese retailers such as Atmos or Billy’s. 

There is, unfortunately, no word yet on whether these slides will make it beyond Asia, however. 

The adidas’ Gazelle has been the subject of many unorthodox stylings of late, whether that be Bad Bunny’s twisted take on the sneaker or CLOT turning it into an espadrille. However, nothing could quite prepare me for a beach slide version of the adidas Gazelle.