Arsenal and adidas’ "Honor Oak" Takes North London to the Carribbean
A collaborative sneaker that celebrates the friendship between Arsenal legends Ian Wright and David Rocastle.
Arsenal F.C. is a club that is at one with its community and history. And while there are other teams around Europe’s top leagues that work with their local fans — take Chelsea’s recent link-up with Soho Yacht Club for example — Arsenal is consistently representing its Black fans that make up a huge percentage of the club’s following. Recently, The Gunners connected with Aston Mack, the founder of the Orlando Freedom Fighters for the club’s third kit, and it also released a Jamaica-inspired pre-match jersey that is a celebration of Caribbean culture and the diversity within London. Now, adidas and Arsenal have re-connected with club legends Ian Wright and the late David Rocastle for a new limited-edition sneaker aptly dubbed the Honor Oak.
It’s been almost 30 years since Wright and Rocastle played together for The Gunners and this new shoe has been created to celebrate the friendship between the two ballers. The sneaker — which is named after the area both players grew up in — features a dedication to both Wright and Rocastle inside the tongue alongside flags from Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, referencing the Caribbean heritage of each player. Alongside the embroidered details, September 28, 1991, the date both players played for Arsenal together, is also included. Rounding off the design, the black shoe also includes a cannon crest on the heel alongside color accents taken from the Jamaican and Trinidad and Tobago flags on the customary Three Stripe branding. Speaking about the new sneaker, Ian Wright said:
“Rocky [David Rocastle] and I grew up together, playing football on our estate, before eventually playing together at Arsenal. We were best friends and 21 years since he left us, I still miss and think about him every day. Rocky is the reason our whole estate supported Arsenal and he taught me what it meant to be an Arsenal player. The adidas Honor Oak represents the start of the football journey we both went on, coming from the Honor Oak Estate in Brockley and playing out our dream of one day playing together as professionals. I’m so happy we got to make these shoes as another small way to keep Rocky’s legacy alive.”
View this post on Instagram
You can have a closer look at the adidas x Arsenal Honor Oak above and only 1991 pairs are available on the official Arsenal webstore now.
