Here's What Happened at the Adidas ZX 'Roots of Running' Exhibition in London

Debuting in the 1980s, adidas' ZX line broke new ground and redefined performance footwear by offering a line of running silhouettes that were individually calibrated to suit the needs of 3 specific types of runner. Innovating to disrupt the status quo - a hallmark of the Three Stripes that continues to today - adidas applied their years of athletic experience to innovate solutions for runners based on the requirements of different running styles. Delivering specific solutions to age-old running problems such as pronation and supination with bespoke technology designed to guide, support, and cushion, adidas ended the reign of one-solution-fits-all athletic gear and gave birth to a vibrant legacy which would transcend athletics to claim its place in the lifestyle sneaker hall of fame.

Speaking to the original designer - and adidas institution in his own right having been tenured there since 1981 - Jacques Chassaing, END. took the opportunity to learn more about the ZX lineage through the eyes of the original designer, before joining Jacques and a curated guest list of serious sneakerheads at the official opening of the 'ZX - Roots of Running' exhibition in the heart of Soho, London.

"Running is personal, not everyone should run in the same shoe. We designed ZX with the intention of providing carefully engineered sneakers which would meet the demands of different types of runners," Jacques explains. "Using athletic data and by examining athletes' worn out shoes we identified three specific types of runners: the neutral runner, the stability runner, and the guidance runner, and we set out to create a running line that met each of these individual running archetypes' needs."

Paying homage to the ZX legacy and heralding a new dawn for the sneaker ahead of the upcoming release of the new ZX 4,000 OG, adidas has worked with global collectors and adi-enthusiasts to curate an impressive exhibition which tells the story of the ZX over the past 35 years and how it's influence has coloured out with the lines of just the ZX lineage to lend elements of its DNA to a wide range of adidas styles and silhouettes.

"I started at adidas in 1981. The 80s was such an innovative time. There was an escalation with everyone trying to find something new - everyone was taking a very technical, engineered approach because it was really all about running shoes. Today the priority is much more on lifestyle sneakers. We didn't even call them sneakers back then," Jacques reminisces of his early days at adidas. "Back then the designers were involved in the whole process from start to finish. We would do the sketches, cut the patterns, cut the fabric, produce the sample, so we were closely involved in every stage in the process. Today the consumer's taste is much more driven by aesthetics, so it's really important to find a balance between the performance vision and the final look."

Walking through the exhibition, the ZX impact and contribution to adidas' running legacy is plain to see with myriad iterations, retooled iterations, and fresh colourways mapping a journey through the archives which reflects the evolution of sneakers from essential performance product to a cornerstone of contemporary culture with legions of global collectors and commentators. "The ZX lineage has enjoyed its longevity because from the beginning it was about designing something unique, something relevant, and something which met the needs of its consumers. All of those factors are still important today, even if the sneaker world looks different," Jacques tells us.

Heading into the basement of the exhibition space, Jacques takes his place between curator of adidas SPEZIAL, Gary Aspden, and one of the world's foremost collectors of the ZX for a panel discussion about the line, it's roots, and where it's going next. Sharing personal anecdotes from more than 35 years of continuous service at adidas, during a period of radical transformation, the crowd listened, transfixed by this rare opportunity to soak up stories of early sneaker history from a first-hand perspective.

Bringing the evening to a close, Jacques shares what he believes will be the future of the sneaker legacy he has created. "In terms of what the future holds for ZX, the line has always been built upon a foundation of tooling and innovation. I think we'll see applications of current and new adidas technologies like the 4D Carbon Print. This fits into the ZX concept and philosophy - it's performance but it has an interesting story, too. That's what ZX is about."

The adidas 'ZX - Roots of Running' exhibition is open to the public from now until December 2nd 12pm-8pm at 21-23 Earlham Street, London, WC2H 9LL.