The next iteration of adidas’ SL 72 OG might be its most animalistic yet. And somehow, also its most refined.

The German sportswear giant’s latest drop, created in collaboration with Japanese men’s lifestyle magazine Safari, gives the heritage runner a full-body makeover.

Gone is the classic nylon upper, and in its place, lush suede in muted tones and crocodile-embossed three stripes. 

It’s a sneaker that lets you walk on your wild side, but keeps things whisper-quiet while doing it.

adidas

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Dropping July 25, the SL 72 “Safari” keeps the same slim silhouette and retro shape that’s made the model a cultural staple since the '70s. But now, it feels less like grandpa’s gym class, a little more quiet luxury.

We’ve seen this kind of makeover elsewhere with Air Force 1s in croc-embossed leather or hiking shoes dressed in a hairy horse-print outer. We're in a footwear era where shoes are getting increasingly feral through eclectic assortments of (faux) furs, leathers, and animal skins.

But the “Safari” SL 72 delivers that in a way that is far quieter. Even with croc crawling on its upper, this shoe is one of the most subtly wild drops we’ve seen in this growing sub-genre.

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