The adidas ZX 420 “Honor Oak” Pays Tribute To Arsenal Legends and Best Friends

Arsenal FC has a storied history as one of the most successful football clubs in the world and this upcoming adidas ZX 420 pays homage to two Arsenal legends Ian Wright and the late David “Rocky” Rocastle who weren’t just teammates, but best friends off the pitch and the Honor Oak neighborhood they grew up playing footy in.

“Rocky 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.” 

The sneaker features a black canvas base and corduroy overlays featuring an embossed chevron print throughout, taking inspiration from the “Bruised Banana” Arsenal kits that were worn during their tenure as teammates. The lateral 3 Stripes are seen in the flag colors of Trinidad and Tobago, which pays homage to Rocky’s heritage with the medial 3 Stripes seen in the Jamaican flag colors, inspired by Ian’s heritage as well. The Trefoil is seen in black on the white tongue tag with the Arsenal cannon stitched on the heeltab, with “Wrighty”, “Rocky”, and “28.09.91” stitched behind the tongue which is the date the two played together for the first time. A white midsole featuring adidas branding with a black, green, and red outsole finishes off the sneaker.

The Arsenal FC x adidas ZX 420 “Honor Oak” is available now on adidas.co.uk with a stateside release date of October 25th, retailing for $100. Check out the photos below and for all the latest drop dates, head over to our Sneaker Release Dates page.