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April 2025

Fashion

Heritage Icons: Discover 5 Gola Classics For The New Season

Posted on April 17, 2025

A collection of Spring/Summer '25 Harrier trainers

The current resurgence of heritage fashion is undeniable.

Whilst many brands may be adapting their collections to suit the growing trend, Gola is one of the true pioneers of retro fashion. With 120 years of rich history and designs to call upon, it’s no wonder that the Gola brand is surging in popularity.

Before retro was a buzzword, Gola created iconic trainer designs influenced by its technical footwear knowledge and sporting expertise.

Although no longer the first brand you would call upon for your track and field exploits, the style influences from these heritage designs remain a key part of the Gola collection today.

Gola presents five heritage trainers from their sporting origins, ideal for embracing retro fashion or terrace wear trends. Here are the stories behind some of Gola’s heritage styles so you can add authentic retro-style trainers to your wardrobe.

1. The Iconic Gola Harrier

close up of the Harrier with its launch date

Gola’s most iconic, well-known trainer, the Harrier, has been a staple of the Gola brand since 1968.

The first Harrier trainer was designed by Fred Dilley, crafted from white leather and featured a green suede cap and wingflash on its side. Created with sport in mind, the Harrier was originally designed for training and sports, including volleyball, badminton and squash. It quickly became a favourite throughout the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.

When retro fashion came back in style in the early ‘00s, Gola relaunched the Harrier, which quickly became a roaring success. Loved by those searching for men’s heritage trainers, it became the trainer of choice for men, from the terraces to the stage, when it was adorned by music icons including Paul Weller, Robbie Williams and the Gallagher brothers.

Versatile and timeless, the Harrier has spanned five decades and has been reimagined in over 500 different colourways. Gola’s flagship style, the Harrier remains a firm favourite today, embraced by nostalgic dressers, lovers of vintage fashion, terrace wear enthusiasts and trend-following fans alike.

The latest spring/summer 2025 men’s Harrier styles feature the same classic silhouette you’ve come to know and love, reimagined in bright and bold colourways, so whether you’re looking for a statement wingflash or something to set you apart on the terraces, the Harrier is the ideal choice.

Shop Harrier Trainers

2. Gola Elan: a retro running masterpiece

Close up of the Elan with its launch date

First added to the Gola range during the 1970s, Gola’s Elan trainers remain a firm favourite today, selling out as quickly as they come in stock!

Offering a retro running shoe aesthetic, it was first introduced to the Gola collection as a multi-purpose training shoe and retains its old-school gum sole, harking back to its roots.

With a similar silhouette as the Harrier, Elan has a distinctive additional heel tab panel; an opportunity to add in a fashionable colour pop!

When the Elan was reintroduced to Gola’s collection in 2023, it was met with instant success. Elan remains a true standout style of the Gola collection, even becoming the style of choice for the Gola 120 Years collection.

Reimagined in stunning brights for spring/summer ‘25, shop Elan trainers in women’s, men’s and kids’ sizes at Gola and embrace the new season in retro-inspired style!

Shop Gola Elan

3. The track-inspired Gola Tornado

close up of a new Tornado with its launch

Sweeping onto the trainer scene like a whirlwind, the Gola Tornado, available for men and women, is everything you could ever want in a classic terrace wear trainer.

Taking style notes from its 1985 ancestor, this track and field-inspired design is available in a selection of bright styles for the new season, alongside neutral classics created for pairing with all your everyday wardrobe staples.

With a slight wedge gum sole reminiscent of school-gym attire, the Tornado is crafted from a heavy weave nylon upper and finished with stylish suede detailing.

Whether you’re shouting from the terraces or embracing retro-inspired terrace dressing, the Tornado is a fashion force to be reckoned with.

Shop women’s tornado trainers

shop men’s tornado trainers

4. Vintage Gola Viper

a close up of the Viper with its launch date

If you’re searching for timeless and versatile retro-trainers, look no further. The vintage-inspired Gola Viper is the ideal choice for purveyors of classic style.

The Viper is a perfectly proportioned heritage trainer rooted in 1970s sports shoe design, available in both men’s and women’s sizes.

Featuring minimalist lines and an on-trend gum sole, the Viper offers many dressing options. Pair yours with track pants to fully embrace retro-inspired dressing, or pair with wide-legged jeans for a modern twist on a vintage classic.

Available in suede and leather designs and classic and contemporary colour palettes, find your perfect pair and curate a desirable heritage style.

Shop women’s viper trainers

Shop Men’s Viper Trainers

5. Gola Badminton: Courtside Classic

Badminton with a close up of its launch date

A plimsoll design straight out of Gola’s archives, the Badminton brings a 1970s-inspired aesthetic to modern-day dressing. A re-release of a 1970s original, the Gola Badminton was originally designed for indoor court sport. While it’s been adapted to have a fashion focus, the style retains its flexible outsole and key elements of the original design.

This canvas classic is the ideal spring/summer choice and comes in a range of colours, from court-inspired white to classic black for both men and women. Each pair features the classic Gola wingflash in a range of colours, and this season, the style has even been reimagined with metallic detailing for a chic twist!

Embrace retro court shoe style by choosing Gola Badminton today!

Shop women’s badminton trainers

Shop Men’s Badminton trainers

Embrace heritage style this season with Gola Classics

Explore our exceptional Gola Classics collection and find true style icons with a history of sporting excellence. Shop men’s and women’s Gola Classics today to find your perfect pair, whatever your retro style!

Gola 120 Years

From Origins To Icons

The Key Trends Of The 1970s

Trends

Terrace Classics: How Gola Helped Shape A Fashion Movement

Posted on April 17, 2025

A close up of a man dressed in terracewear wearing a pair of Harrier trainers

A significant subculture in British fashion history, terrace wear is a fashion movement that saw British football fans embrace European fashion, bringing designer style to football grounds nationwide.

In this blog, we’re highlighting the history, style and impact of terrace fashion, its retro-inspired resurgence and why Gola is the go-to brand for those wanting to elevate their terrace wear game in 2025.

What is terrace wear? The origins of terrace style

Gola imagery, a man and woman wear Harrier and Elan trainers with terrace fashion in a retro dining area

Terrace wear or terrace fashion describes the fashion worn by football fans in football grounds or stadiums while cheering on their teams. Once solely associated with football and football fan fashion inside and outside the stadiums, today, these style references are experiencing a renaissance away from football.

Here’s a brief potted history of how it all began:

Terracewear: 1970s – 1990s

In the 1970s and ’80s, football in Liverpool and Manchester was thriving, and so were the first iterations of the terrace or ‘casual’ fashion. In Manchester, it was the Fred Perry-clad ‘Perry boys’, whereas in Liverpool, it was inspired by the stylish dressing of European football fans the Merseyside supporters had seen whilst following Liverpool in the European Cup.

Woman wears aqua coloured Tornado trainers

Although towards the end of the ’80s, casual fashion dwindled, in the ’90s, it experienced a resurgence.The rise of Britpop and ‘lad culture’ magnified the casual style and made it fashionable once again.

But how did Gola become a key terracewear player?

Gola: A staple of terrace wear style

Man wears relaxed casual clothing and navy and white Elan trainers

Gola has always been deeply rooted in British sportswear.

From the early 1900s, its focus was football boots, and after the war effort, this focus quickly returned.

During the 1960s and ’70s, Gola was a leading innovative sporting brand, kitting out top-performing football teams, creating footwear for athletes and sponsoring players. So, whilst casual fashion fans were looking towards Europe to find their fashion brands, Gola boots were a popular choice on the football pitches, adorning the feet of the footballing heroes these fans were following around Europe.

These two decades would also see Gola develop the first iterations of what would go on to become two iconic terrace fashion trainer staples. The Harrier, designed by Fred Dilley in 1968, and the Elan in 1973, were originally designed as training shoes and were met with instant success, but we’ll come back to those later.

Not thought of at the time as a terrace brand, during the 1970s, Gola was a sporting champion, beginning its expansion into sportswear and accessories and rapidly becoming a household name.

Gola in the 1980s

Gola continued its sporting prowess throughout the eighties, going on to sponsor fictional comic book footballing hero Roy Race, a.k.a Roy Of The Rovers, signing a deal with the Conference League and creating one of its most successful campaigns, ‘Put Wings On Your Feet’, referring to the iconic Gola wingflash.

Although towards the end of the ’80s, the brand’s success began to dwindle, the ’90s helped put Gola back into the limelight and solidify it as a staple of terracewear style.

Britpop, nostalgia and the Gallagher brothers

Man wears fitted polo and cords with navy and blue Harrier trainers

In the mid-1990s, Gola was acquired by the Jacobson Group and relaunched as a heritage brand, and the timing couldn’t have been better.

As Britpop and lad culture rose, the Gola Classics collection was launched. Iconic trainers such as the Harrier were reimagined, and leading icons of the Britpop era, such as Noel and Liam Gallagher and Paul Weller, couldn’t wait to have them on their feet. Gola became a terracewear staple, sliding seamlessly into the 1990s iteration of the casual aesthetic when retro football fashion was booming. Gola terrace trainers were here to stay.

From stadiums to streetwear: Why terrace fashion is still relevant today

In 2025, terrace fashion remains a true style reference.

Evolving beyond the football stadiums, social media trends marked a resurgence in football-inspired fashion and retro designs. As luxury brands continue to create designs that lean towards a growing desire for streetwear, it seems fitting that terrace fashion is returning.

Terrace fashion evokes memories of a nostalgic time for those who were part of it, whether during the heady days of the European football-following eighties, the lad culture and Britpop-influenced nineties, or the nostalgia retro-fashion loving noughties.

Fashion is cyclical, so it’s no wonder this tasteful trend is on everyone’s minds in 2025, particularly as many Britpop bands are reforming. Everyone is gearing up for the festival season, and what better way to dress for it than with a terrace-fashion classic on your feet?

These retro sportswear designs have a classic and wearable appeal that lasts, and thanks to Gola’s rich history and 120 years of experience as a heritage sporting brand, it is a key figure in the terrace wear evolution this time.

Gola’s Spring/Summer ’25 collection calls on its heritage designs, reimagining them in a rich colour palette that subtly nods toward terrace wear nostalgia. From the iconic Harrier to the eye-catching Elan, Gola calls upon its knowledge and experience to create classic and authentic terrace wear trainers with a modern twist, perfect for every terrace wear lover.

Explore the collection today to find your ideal pair.

Shop tasteful terrace-inspired trainers for men, women and children at Gola

Discover Gola’s latest heritage-inspired designs by browsing the complete men’s, women’s and kids’ Gola Classics collection and prepare to face the season in style.