Adidas Rome(s)

Madaya · 26-01-2014, 03:00 PM

Mates, I am in no way a fashionista? but I have a hankering for the original Adidas Rome sports shoe. My ex used to bag me (as she did about everything I liked) about the poofy Rome's. Until I was able to point out to her pic after pic after pic of heavy dudes from the 60's to the early 70's wore this iconic shoe (check it out) and even today dudes are still seen wearing the Rom (Rom on the continent apparently, Rome in Oz).
The last pair of Rome's I picked up from a shoe shop cost me $10 . Around about then, Adidas must have said, 'damn, we are competing against Nike and etc, flogging their flatfoot crap for $$$. So they stopped production of the Rome's and added dollars to their inferior products.
I know a mate who played a whole season of first team soccer wearing Rome's, and he was a striker. With the original Rome's, you could kick the ball, not once, not twice, but run an entire season whacking balls (plus he played cricket in the summer, no doubt the Rome done him well there as well).
I bought a set of some expensive pretender and put my toe through the shoe after one big kick.
The original was leather upper if I remember right.
Anyone out there know what I'm talking about?
Cheers

Tonz · 26-01-2014, 03:09 PM

Ebay is your friend....again.... not cheap but quality you gladly pay for.
Ironiclly I threw out my last pair 3 weeks ago, used them over 5 years just about every weekend.

Madaya · 26-01-2014, 03:18 PM

Thanks Tonz, same. I bought a brand new pair of Reebok walkers prior to my trip to England/Europe in 2006. Got home to Australia after 5 weeks and threw them out.
I reckon that if Adidas brought out the original Rome's with the same material and quality, I'd willingly pay $100+
From what I've seen on eBay, I'm looking at replicas/pretends.

**supershifty** · 26-01-2014, 03:18 PM

Yep, loved 'em!

If I remember correctly they were the all white leather with the three blue stripes on the sides and "Rome" written in gold print aligned with the rearmost stripe.

Awesome treads!

Tonz · 26-01-2014, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madaya

Thanks Tonz, same. I bought a brand new pair of Reebok walkers prior to my trip to England/Europe in 2006. Got home to Australia after 5 weeks and threw them out.
I reckon that if Adidas brought out the original Rome's with the same material and quality, I'd willingly pay $100+
From what I've seen on eBay, I'm looking at replicas/pretends.

Get outside and do some work on ya uteman,,, oh its too hot!

Me waiting for an ebay auction to close so far only I have looked at it.... yummy if I win will save over $7500. from new model.

Bushbasher · 26-01-2014, 04:41 PM

I used to live and die in my White Romes when I was at school back in the late 70s' and bought them right up through the 80s' till I couldn't find them any more. Great, tough shoe. They came in White with blue stripe and black with white stripe IIRC. The tread was the Adidas logo over and over. Wish I could find an original pair now.

hendrixhc · 26-01-2014, 04:53 PM

I was only talking about these the other day. went through many pairs of them then turned to the dark side of metal and spent the rest of my youth in black ripple soled boots!

**DJM83** · 26-01-2014, 04:55 PM

Never knew what they were till now.
Damn I want some.

Tonz · 26-01-2014, 05:13 PM

Ebay UK

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/70-S-VINTA...item4ace783f1b 139. POUNDS

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ADIDAS-ORI...item1e7b1fbb1c &49.00 pounds 10 postage to Australia

**GasoLane** · 26-01-2014, 05:14 PM

They were the best 'sports' shoes ever!!

When they stopped making them I rang the Adidas agent in Melb trying to find some. The customer service lady said she wished they still made them as her Hubby wanted some more and even she couldn't get them.

I did see a publicity photo of Ricky Ponting (when he was the test team Captain) wearing them.

Useless info dept...... watch any old Queen live performance and Freddie always wore Rome's, but they were high boots, he must have had these made as I don't think they were ever released to the public.

duaned · 26-01-2014, 05:44 PM

I had Rome's in my school days (late 70's early 80's) and they were the fashion at the time. Those and the hession looking back packs we all drew on with textas etc.

Tonz · 26-01-2014, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tonz

Ebay UK

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/70-S-VINTA...item4ace783f1b 139. POUNDS

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ADIDAS-ORI...item1e7b1fbb1c &49.00 pounds 10 postage to Australia

equates to $A95.00 providing they are genuine originals thats not bad value. Have friends on another forum based in UK see what their thoughts are....

**GasoLane** · 26-01-2014, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tonz

equates to $A95.00 providing they are genuine originals thats not bad value. Have friends on another forum based in UK see what their thoughts are....

Might be a European thing but my Rome's had ROME (in yellow or gold I think). Not ROM !

Tonz · 26-01-2014, 06:02 PM

Yeah doubt they are original Adidas shoes but hey theres always hope

Spudz27 · 26-01-2014, 06:42 PM

Never had Adidas. My current nikes have been worn every day for the last 4yrs. Still look new.

**PG2** · 26-01-2014, 07:41 PM

At the time when these shoes were all the rage at school you could buy copies from K-Mart for about quarter of the price. They were easily spotted though as they only had two blue stripes down the side and would split completely after about three months of wearing them.

The only reason I remember this was because Mum was cheap (and Dad was even cheaper) and bought me a pair from K-Mart. Got sick of everyone pointing out they were copies but had to keep wearing them as Mum would not buy me another pair of shoes. May not be a big deal now but was back then being in high school.

XP6 · 26-01-2014, 11:17 PM

HendrixHC me too!

zabatron · 27-01-2014, 02:20 AM

Still got a pair of these,genuine Adidas,brand new,never worn.size 9 I think.Forgot them at my parents house when I moved out about 15 years ago.Went there for Xmas this year and my mum asked me when i was going to wear the white shoes with the 3 blue stripes....could not believe they were still there as my father usually throws out everything!Should put them up on ebay.

**MercurySilver** · 27-01-2014, 12:27 PM

everyone either had blue and white 'romes'
or black and white 'officials'

you still see them floating about on the bay

ford71V8 · 27-01-2014, 12:38 PM

Wow, havent heard "Romes" for years.
It was Rockers VS Skinheads

I was a Ripples wearer.
Romes were used to run fast from Ripples

Iggle Piggle · 27-01-2014, 02:33 PM

I went to a Catholic school where Italians and Greeks outnumbered the rest of us - us Skips mostly wore Dunlop Volleys or Ripples, and the Guidos wore Romes but only the black ones.

We called ripples "Fifty Fifties", because they gave the ants half a chance.

Marquis · 27-01-2014, 06:09 PM

Had many pairs off Rome's. Luved them and the marks the left on sand or mud. I think they were only about $20

jaydee · 28-01-2014, 12:24 AM

First someone posts up a "Remember Tubular Bells" now Romes, big trip down memory lane here.
Loved the Romes, Had the white ones myself. Was at a BBQ a few months ago and a guy had a pair on, he was pretty please I noticed them and brought up the subject. Then everyone got in on the conversation, desert boots, Levis Californians, Golden Breed shirts etc.
He got his Romes off ebay from the UK, NOS. Paid heaps for them too.

Madaya · 29-01-2014, 01:22 AM

Damn, they where the days. I'm sure we can all come up with fashion from the early 70's. Remember the girls with arms full of bangles. Winning an Iron Cross at the Penny Arcade was huge. 'Real' Bikinis. XU1's, Phase III's and Chargers. Rock'n'Roll without the swear words but it still said it all.

Adidas Romes.

That's it! I'll post a letter of to headquarters this week and demand a reissue and tell em' we'll pay good for the genuine article. I'm sure they still have the templates. Must be coming up for some kinda anniversary. They'll wipe the floor with all of the pretenders.

zabatron · 29-01-2014, 02:21 AM

My mum is coming over tomorrow.I asked her to bring the pair of Adidas Romes over with her.I will post some pics of them tomorrow night.Might even put them in a glass display case.

jaydee · 29-01-2014, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madaya

Damn, they where the days. I'm sure we can all come up with fashion from the early 70's. Remember the girls with arms full of bangles. Winning an Iron Cross at the Penny Arcade was huge. 'Real' Bikinis. XU1's, Phase III's and Chargers. Rock'n'Roll without the swear words but it still said it all.

Adidas Romes.

That's it! I'll post a letter of to headquarters this week and demand a reissue and tell em' we'll pay good for the genuine article. I'm sure they still have the templates. Must be coming up for some kinda anniversary. They'll wipe the floor with all of the pretenders.

"Real bikini's", yes like those crocheted ones that had little holes in them and things would stick out, oh yeah.

zabatron · 30-01-2014, 12:11 AM

Ok..here are some pics of my Adidas Rome shoes as promised..I bought these back in the late eighties but for some reason never wore them and forgot all about them.They had over 25 years worth of dust on them as they spent about 15 years on a shelf in my parents garage before being moved to the relative luxury of the upstairs wardrobe,so I gave them a good clean.They should lose the smell of my mum"s moth balls in about 6 months.....anyone got a spare glass display case lying around?

**GasoLane** · 30-01-2014, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zabatron

Ok..here are some pics of my Adidas Rome shoes as promised..I bought these back in the late eighties but for some reason never wore them and forgot all about them.They had over 25 years worth of dust on them as they spent about 15 years on a shelf in my parents garage before being moved to the relative luxury of the upstairs wardrobe,so I gave them a good clean.They should lose the smell of my mum"s moth balls in about 6 months.....anyone got a spare glass display case lying around?

Yep, that's the real deal, I dont know what the go is with the ebay Euro ones having 'ROM' on them.

What size are they, I'll see that they go to a good home

zabatron · 30-01-2014, 12:29 AM

Yes,they are genuine Australian made, size 9 Adidas Rome runners.I used to love wearing these back in the eighties as they were so comfortable and lasted a long time.I have seen the ones with Rom on the side too,but don't know what the story is with those...maybe they are the european made version, or just later day copies.To be honest,dont know what I am going to do with them as for some reason I now wear size 10 shoes.

Geez Louise · 30-01-2014, 12:36 AM

Wow talk about an 80's Flashback. Everyone who was cool at school wore Rome's and had the hesian backpacks you drew all over as Duaned said.

Ahhh...the good ole days...where chips were something you ate, and not something that went into a computer, where a Hard drive was something you did in your XC panelvan when you drove it too far on the beach and had to get it back onto the road before the tide came in, where a mullet was a haircut, not just a fish...you all get my drift

Cheers
Col