The Adidas Handball Spezial makes a Babygirl cameo – and it's purpose-built for a young buck with old tricks

Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson's Babygirl is set to hit cinemas later this month, and everyone's excited for some sub-dom high drama. But as the world impatiently waits, A24 has quenched our thirsts (for now) with five brand new posters for the film. There's a sexy, hazy glow on every single one of them. There's one with a glass of milk. There's one with a tie. And there's also one with Samuel's (played by Dickinson) vintage sneakers. Or, more specifically, the Adidas Handball Spezial.

First introduced in '79, the Handball Spezial was (you guessed it) originally made for pro handball players. Eventually, as more advanced models started to come through, the silhouette became more of a lifestyle trainer. “By now, of course, the Adidas Handball Spezial isn't exactly a sleeper-hit; as you might imagine, it's already plastered across TikTok,” wrote GQ's Jake Woolf. “That said, it's hardly reached the same saturation point as the Samba or the Gazelle.”

It doesn't immediately seem like the sort of sneaker that'd charm Kidman's high-flying CEO with everything to lose. But there is something undeniably alluring about it. It's an old trainer at heart, but Dickinson's ‘Wonder Glow’ colourway has much hype. It's not a limited edition nor is it a collab, but that hasn't stopped sneakerheads from paying the big bucks for it. On platforms like StockX, the ‘Wonder Glow’ can set you back around £400, which is more than four times (!) the OG retail price.

And it's perhaps a great representation of Samuel himself. He's an intern. He's young. He's also wise beyond his years. Like the Spezial, there's a feeling of newness layered on top of much experience; an old school sneaker with new school appeal.

Plus, it's also a great looking Adidas shoe. We know that Babygirl loves them, but so do other Hollywood guys like Paul Mescal and Bradley Cooper – and that sort of allure would reel anyone in.