Adidas2026 Review
Adidas HB Spezial Noir
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Buy at Handball-Store · €77.07 (opens in a new tab)Compare 3 shops · Prices updated on 6 November
The handball icon. The Spezial relaunched: retro style with a functional outsole.
Fit
Who is it for?
- Position
- WingBackCentre back
- Player weight
- 75 – 90 kg
- Level
- Beginner, Intermediate
We recommend it if…
- Handball fans who value the history of the sport
- Coaches and parents who want the retro look with basic functionality
- Occasional training and recreational use on court
- Collectors of historic sports footwear
Pick another if…
- Federated players who need real technical performance
- Those who train often (insufficient cushioning)
- Contact positions or high physical demands
- Those who put performance ahead of looks
Our test
The good and the bad
Pros
- Very affordable price
- A historic handball icon
- Functional outsole for indoor training
- Highly recognisable retro style
Cons
- Minimal cushioning for matches
- Not recommended for advanced competition
- Construction geared more towards lifestyle
Before you order
Sizes and fit
- Fit
- Regular
- Weight
- 290 g
- Drop
- 8 mm
Where to buy
Price at each shop
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Handball-Store
Lowest with price
WePlay Handball
Amazon.es
Basket-Center
Out of stock
€80.86
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Buy at Handball-Store · €77.07 (opens in a new tab)How we score it
Score by category
- Grip
- 8.0
- Cushioning
- 6.8
- Stability
- 7.5
- Durability
- 8.5
- Value for money
- 9.5
Gorka Cabañas' opinion
Journalist. Former handball player and coach. Co-founder of Liftados
The Adidas HB Spezial has something no technical shoe in the catalogue can have: history. It's the model Adidas started out with in handball in the 70s, and that aesthetic heritage is its main selling point on today's market. For players who value authenticity and style over technical performance, it's a legitimate choice.
Technically, we have to be honest: the basic EVA and flat indoor rubber give it a 7.4 overall score that doesn't compete with the technical models in the catalogue. It has no BOOST, no Wave, no GEL. It's a 1970s indoor shoe updated with modern materials but without advanced midsole technology. In my testing I've seen the same phenomenon with retro running shoes: people buy them for the design, not for the performance.
My position is pragmatic: if you want the best performance, there are 15 models in this catalogue that beat it. If you want to wear the model with the most history in international handball and you play at an amateur or recreational level, it's a sensible purchase. I wouldn't recommend it for frequent training or serious competition, but for someone who plays in a company league on Fridays, it has an aesthetic argument that nothing technical can replicate.
Published on 5 September 2025 · Liftados.com
On-court review
Full review
Grip and traction
The flat indoor outsole on the Adidas HB Spezial Noir is one of its great assets and also one of its most surprising features for anyone who doesn't know the model's history. The original HB Spezial from the 70s and 80s had a flat rubber outsole that offered exceptional grip on the wooden courts of the time. The relaunched version keeps this philosophy: a flat rubber outsole with maximum contact that scores 8.0 for grip. For training on clean parquet courts, the grip is very dependable. The limitation appears on courts with dust or resin, where an outsole with deeper clearing channels would have the edge. The 8 mm drop, low for handball, also reflects the original design.
Cushioning and energy return
With 6.8 for cushioning, the Adidas HB Spezial Noir clearly shows it isn't an advanced technical performance model. The basic EVA midsole offers the minimum so that there's no direct floor-to-foot impact, with no impact-absorption or energy-return technology. For occasional or low-intensity training, it's functional. For players who train often, the cushioning will fall short and may contribute to joint fatigue. The HB Spezial Noir is essentially a style shoe with basic indoor functionality: it's exactly what it promises and no more.
Stability and support
With 7.5 for stability, the Adidas HB Spezial Noir offers moderate containment that comes mainly from the stiffness of the synthetic leather upper. Synthetic leather is stiffer than mesh but less breathable, providing a feeling of all-round support that more modern mesh models lack. For medium-length training sessions and grassroots handball movements, the stability is enough. The durability of the synthetic leather (8.5 for durability) is one of the model's strong points: the HB Spezial Noir stands up well to regular use thanks to the robustness of the upper material.
Who this shoe is for
The Adidas HB Spezial Noir is essentially a collector's and heritage shoe that also happens to be functional for low-level handball. Its value lies in being the direct heir to the 1980s handball icon rather than in its current technical performance. For coaches and players who want the retro Spezial style with occasional use on court, it's a unique option at an affordable price. Compared with the Hummel Perfekt Cl or the Kempa Wing Lite 2.0 in terms of pure functionality, it doesn't beat them; but neither of them can compete on history, recognition and looks.
Liftados verdict · 7.4/10
The Adidas HB Spezial Noir is the handball icon relaunched as a lifestyle-functional model. It doesn't compete with modern technical shoes on any performance parameter, but it offers something no other shoe can: handball history on your feet. For fans who want that link with the sport's past and moderate use on court, it's a one-of-a-kind buy.
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Comparisons
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What you ask us about the Adidas HB Spezial Noir
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