OFFSPRING MEETS: @THEADIDASCONNECTION

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12 March 2024

We chat to Offspring Community member Manni aka @theadidasconnection

Tell us about yourself.

Good day guys, I’m Manni Shosa from Southwest London. For my day job, I serve as a life coach/mentor working with young people and young adults from the age of 12 to 23 with various organisations in England. I do have a clothing line in the works but that’s a story for another day.

How long have you been into sneakers and how did you get into them?

I’ve been collecting trainers for about 35 years. My love for them began when I saw sports personalities and older peers wearing them. I’ve managed to collect all my childhood grails, including pairs I admired but couldn't own at the time. These include brands like adidas, Asics, Avia, Brooks, Etnies, Kangaroo, La Coq Sportif, Nike, Puma, Reebok, and others.

You’ve been in the game a long time and you go way back with some of the HQ team. Do you have any early sneaker memories?

My earliest memories are of shopping at my local Arndale Centre, specifically a shop called Steve Sports. As a child, I would accompany my mother to shop for trainers I needed for starting secondary school. This turned into a daily routine as I was always eager to see their new arrivals.

By my fourth year of school, I had expanded my shopping horizons. I was familiar with a multitude of sports shops, including Cobra Sports, Champion Sports, Inter Sports, JD Sports, Lilly Whites, Olympus Sports, and Run and Become. I also frequented local, family-run sports shops like Bon Marche, Frank Johnson, My Trainers, and Sports and Things, to name a few.

Your Instagram page has gained a big following. Can you tell us about when you started and what it’s about?

I started @theadidasconnection in 2017 as a personal account to showcase 80s/90s classics from adidas collections. I aimed to create something different from what I had seen online and on social platforms. However, the account's popularity surprised me, and it gradually evolved into a community page. I started receiving tags related to all things adidas, particularly the ZX Runners.

Do you have any sneaker regrets and what is your sneaker grail?

I regret entrusting my collection to my brother while I was away. He unknowingly wore most of my grail trainers. My grail pairs include the adidas Racer, Boston Super, Quester, Web Tech, RX8500, RX9500, ZX600, ZX800, ZX802, ZX930. From Nike, I value the Air Ace, Air Control, Air Elite, Air Support, and Air Walker Max, all must be OG colourways.

My most prized possession in my collection has to be the 1986/7 adidas Web Tech.

What sneakers are in your rotation currently?

Currently, my rotation includes the Asics Quantum Gel, Nike Air Max 1 86, adidas Rivalry and ZX8000.

Aside from sneakers what else are you into?

I’m interested in fashion and music, and I'm currently developing a clothing line. I’m also collaborating with talented young musicians from Africa, Asia, and the UK.

Finally, what does community mean to you?

To me, community is about supporting each other, looking out for one another, mentally, physically, or spiritually. It’s about helping each other in the best ways we can, getting together every now and then to share knowledge with those who need it.