A legendary Liverpool shop spent 20 years at the forefront of fashion in Liverpool and left a lasting legacy. This year marks 40 years since Wade Smith first opened in the city centre and it is still remembered for . Decades ago, founder Robert Wade Smith, originally from Bradford, was introduced to Liverpool as an apprentice for Adidas, travelling to the city at weekends to stock their concessions.
Spotting a niche in the market, he noticed the city's love of rare and designer trainers, which inspired him to open his own business. In 2002, he said: "I was stocking shops like Topman and saw the trainers phenomenon which exploded in the "In it was largely generated by football fans travelling around Europe and bringing back rare trainers. I was keen to start my own business and what better opportunity would there be.
" With £500 cash and a £10,000 overdraft, Robert opened a store at 11 in November 1982. Trips to Europe hunting the rarest trainers followed and the shop was soon selling shoes as quickly as they could get them. Through the years, For many, it was the first place they bought a pair of trainers or were introduced to popular fashion trends of the 80s and 90s.
Before the days of Wade Smith, Adidas trainers were still predominantly associated with sports stars and not the high street. In the 80s, the store built its success on the back of the humble Trimm Trab, an Adidas training shoe and by the 1990s, Wade Smith leaned further into high fashion and would become some.