With the year of the Stan Smith now in the books, Adidas is poising the Superstar for world domination in 2015.
It’s sometimes easy to forget that the Adidas Superstar was once the go-to shoe for professional basketball players. Launched in 1969, at one point it decked out the feet of three-quarters of the entire NBA. Today, the shell toe style with the signature three-stripe upper is now more closely associated with old school street culture (it was Run DMC who penned ‘My Adidas’, after all) than with competitive hoop playing. And with all of the sneaker technology available these days, the original Superstar wouldn’t stand a chance on the court or blacktop. But in the street style wars, it’ll always be a champ.
For 2015, Adidas is clearly pushing the model, hoping that it somehow attains the unprecedented crossover appeal that their Stan Smith enjoyed in 2014. As such, the Superstar is featured prominently in the latest Adidas Originals lookbook, which also showcases the label’s wares set for a January release. For men, that means varsity jackets, nylon windbreakers, and button-up shirts in directional designs that balance form and function. For women, its star-print warm-up suits and dresses made from performance fabrics. Like all Adidas Original styles, the looks celebrate the past while looking ahead, a philosophy that is sure to make the Superstar live up to its name this year.
Vintage ad, circa 70s
All images courtesy Adidas.com