Sneakerjagers' very own 'Shoes and the City' continues. Today we take you through Cologne in some hot adidas silhouettes. For two days we explored the city on the Rhine and tested some shops, sights and restaurants. Completely selfless, of course 😎.
I always find myself feeling really German when, for example, when browsing through a sale offer for you, I'm always drawn to the adidas silhouettes first before any other shoe catches my attention. That's why we decided to take some adidas kicks with us to Cologne for our first Shoes and the City from a German city. With us were: the adidas Superstar, the Ozweego, the adidas ZX 500, the Continental 80 and the Falcon.
Superstar
Of course, the adidas Superstar is not to be missed. Since 1969, it has become an absolute classic that is suitable for the whole family. Characteristic is of course the shell toe, the iconic 3-Stripes and the leather upper.
adidas Originals Superstar 'White' - Home of Classics
Walk and Visit
Of course, there are a few must-sees if you are in Cologne for the first time. These include the following sights: Cologne Cathedral, the Old Town, the banks of the Rhine, the love locks on the Hohenzollern Bridge, the Chocolate Museum and of course the breweries.
The city's landmark is, of course, Cologne Cathedral, which is right next to the main railway station. Construction work began in the centre of the city in 1284, but was interrupted for 300 years in 1520. According to this, a wooden construction crane stood on top of the enormous ruined building, which in turn was long regarded as the city's landmark. Around 1823, more importance began to be attached to medieval art and architecture, and so work began on the restoration and further construction of Cologne Cathedral. The Gothic building was not completed until 1880! With its 157m it was the highest building in the world, today it is the third highest church in the world.
Ozweego
The Ozweego features a chunky 90s silhouette and adiPRENE cushioning with a distinctive midsole and transparent tube detailing. The sneakers came back in 2020 with a reissue. We had the adidas Ozweego Celox 'Cloud White' with us.
Love locks like in Paris can be found at the famous Hohenzollern Bridge. The bridge was completed in 1911, after a construction period of four years, and is today one of the most important junctions in the German and European railway network. It is adorned on the one hand by Reisterstand statues as a symbol of Prussian rule and, as mentioned, by castles promising eternal love. At a length of 143m, more than 155,00 locks hang from the bridge.
The Rheinauhafen is half an insider tip and absolutely worth seeing. It is the former port facility of the Südstadt and today a residential and office area. Thus, the harbour still represents Cologne as a European trading metropolis.
It's just as nice to stroll along the Rhine, where you'll also come straight to the Chocolate Museum!
adidas ZX
The ZX series is arguably one of the most popular in the running history of the Three Stripes brand. There are now more than 22 different models, each with a different athletic ability and level. So you can wear the sneakers for Sunday runs as well as for longer distances - perfect for a city trip!
Hans Imhoff (1922-2007) dreamed of a chocolate museum including a fountain from which chocolate would always bubble. The passionate chocolate manufacturer took over the Stollwerkch factory in 1972 where he discovered scrap metal for what it was. Machines, packaging materials and old files with which to lay the foundations of the museum. The Chocolate Museum opened on 31 October 1993 and is now one of the most visited cultural institutions in Cologne, with around 600,000 visitors a year. In fact, the chocolate fountain is not gushing right now (August 2021), but let's hope that the brown gold will attract just as many tourists to Cologne anyway.
Of course, as a city of millions, Cologne has even more museums to offer you. The Ludwig Museum exhibits classical modernism and expressionism as well as a pop art collection, among other things. The latter includes the third largest Picasso collection in the world, one of the most important collections of German Expressionism, outstanding works of the Russian avant-garde and an excellent collection on the history of photography.
The Roman Germanic Museum, founded in 1907, deals with the prehistory and early history of the prehistoric cultures of the Rhineland. During the severe destruction in the Second World War, the museum was not spared. The holdings were brought to safety in emergency depots outside Cologne in time and repatriated after the end of the war.
A city tour can be really exhausting even in the right sneakers, so green oases where you can relax a bit are all the more welcome. The green belt is particularly recommended, where you can discover a lot, including a small skate park. A walk through the hip Belgian quarter to Brüsseler Platz is a great way to end the day. We've all earned a Kölsch, what do you think?
Continental
This sneaker is not just a Continental 80, it is made from recycled materials. In addition, care is taken in its production to ensure that as little material waste as possible is produced. It reflects beautifully what should also be more and more in our consciousness for future trips: To go on holiday in a nature-friendly and conscious way!
Eat and Drink
Unfortunately, we couldn't try everything. So now you get a delicious selection of insider tips for breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks!
In fact, that's exactly what you get at Herr Pimock's, namely a delicious breakfast, a lunch offer, dinner with friends and a great cocktail menu afterwards. The pancakes are absolutely recommended for breakfast. The only danger is that you can't get any further here…
Aachener Str. 52
50674 Köln
The small restaurant Rosticceria Massimo serves Italian dishes at high wooden tables and bistro-style bar stools. "Always fast, always delicious" says the website, so how about an antipasti plate to fortify yourself in the afternoon? Quite á la bella Italia!
Rosticceria Massimo
Alteburger Straße 41
50678 Köln
If, instead of antipasti and a glass of wine, you'd rather have a fortifying coffee, then drop by The Coffice, the barista café. In the leafy mall of the Rheinhallen, you can either take a short breather or a little out-of-home office stop.
The Coffice
Charles-de-Gaulle-Platz 1
50679 Köln
If you want to eat the best burger in the world, then head to Die fette Kuh Köln. There, burgers and fries are homemade, from Wednesday to Monday and from 12:00 to 22:00. A look at the pictures explains everything else. Have you booked your table yet?
Die Fette Kuch
Bonner Str. 43
50677 Köln
Viet Village offers selected Vietnamese street food. So if you like Asian food, you should stop by here in the heart of Cologne. The restaurant promises to transport you to another world. In a historical atmosphere of the 70s and 80s in Vietnam, you can explore the most famous street food dishes of the country.
Viet Village
Hohenstaufenring 14
50674 Köln
The [noa] in Cologne serves upscale cuisine for an elegant evening. There is a colourful selection of steaks, pasta, salads, burgers and tarte flambée for your dinner.
[noa]
Maastrichterstraße 3
50672 Köln
Drinks for a successful day in Cologne
In the pub Zum goldenen Schuss you can experience pure Cologne. Especially when the Effzeh is playing, the screens are extended and the fans feverishly follow the game on site. Cologne's party spirit meets nightlife, because the later it gets, the more crowded it gets here. Everything from house, hip hop and the best of the 80s is played.
Zum goldenen Schuss
Antwerpener Str. 38
50672 Köln
Under the hashtag #sojungkommenwirnichtmehr zusammen, the Rosebud team invites you for a drink. Everyone is welcome here, from bankers to creative types, to hip hop sounds and timeless cocktails at an affordable price.
Rosebud
Heinsbergstraße 20
Innenstadt
50674 Köln
At Sixpack - The Bar. Since 1987, nights have been danced through with loud music in front of Corona. Now, instead of behind the bar on nice days, the couple serves drinks from the six-pack window. "Until this is over. And until and we dance our nights away together again and curse the last beer the next day. Get rich or drunk trying," the website says.
Sixpack Köln
Aachener Str. 33
50674 Köln
Shop a little and a little more in Köln
What would a city trip be without shopping, or more precisely, without sneaker shopping, right? Of course, we have a few addresses in Cologne for you. Both big shops and smaller shops that you can check out.
Falcon
The adidas Falcon was all over my Insta feed in 2020 and yes I bought it. But I've loved it ever since and it's been my most loyal companion. It's so good for travelling because it's plain white and goes with every outfit, so I can just pack a pair of sneakers (sometimes you have to make tough decisions, hand luggage doesn't cost extra).
The Shop Onygo you know for sure, so I don't need to tell you much about it. There are also several shops in the Rhine city that you can include in your city trip. When we were there, many others had the idea and it was totally busy. In the summer sale I couldn't resist and bought myself, how could it be otherwise, a new pair of adidas. #lost
Snipes has two (!) flagship stores in Cologne, but the one on Neumarkt stands out. You can shop the latest trends from the scene on around 2000 square metres. There is also always a telephone raffle. The store introduced this to avoid sneaker fans camping outside the doors of the shop before a special release. The company is one of the world's leading streetwear retailers with over 300 stores in Europe and the US. While it was founded in Essen, the headquarters are now located in Cologne-Mülheim.
Snipes
Schildergasse 120
50667 Köln
Admittedly, there are hardly any sneakers here, but there is an incredible amount of inspiration and high-end shoes made of high-quality leather. You might even know the owner @michivonwant, who I've been following for a long time for style inspiration, among other things.
Although THE WANTS SHOES is a local boutique in Cologne, you can also easily shop online for the shoes and accessories of your choice.
THE WANTS SHOES
Lindenstrasse 13
50674 Köln
Vintage & Rags is one of many vintage stores in Cologne where you can find baseball shirts and other adornments. This store, which has another branch in Hamburg, also has an online shop of the same name. Enjoy your vintage shopping!
Vintage & Rags
Hohenzollernring 47
50672 Köln
*Unless otherwise stated, all photos are by Sneakerjagers (Sanne Molenaar).