Sneaker News Top 30 Sneakers of 2011

#23 – RUN DMC x ADIDAS ORIGINALS SUPERSTAR 80s ‘MY ADIDAS’

It’s easy to pick out names like Jay-Z, Dr. Dre and Puffy as the most prolific contributors when it comes to establishing everything from burgeoning young artists to the aesthetics of an influential era. And we’ve come to know plenty of celebrity super-sneakerheads in the hip-hop world over the past few years like Wale, Fabolous and Bun B, but none of those artists can match the combination of influence over hip-hop music, its culture and its fashion than Hollis, Queens’ Run-D.M.C. Theirs is a right-place, right-time story – one where the trio of Joseph “Run” Simmons, Darryl “DMC McDaniels and Jason “Jam-Master Jay” Mizell become the first rap act to ever earn a gold record and a Grammy nomination. They’re universally respected as pioneers, not only when it comes to making hip-hop music more commercially accessible, but also for emerging as among the first acts to concretize the link between music and the sneaker culture that we’ve come to take entirely for granted.

While most of their peers were parading around onstage in elaborate costumes, the Queens outfit kept their look true to their street roots, making it clear that they were men of the people from day 1. Run-DMC rose to the top of the charts and stayed there for most of the mid-late 1980s, all while wearing a familiar combination of black

fedoras, ‘dookie rope’ gold chains and the particular model of sneaker that earned them co-billing as one of 2011′s best. The Run-DMC x adidas Originals Superstar 80s commemorates the 25th anniversary of Raising Hell’s street hit ‘My Adidas’, which was itself unprecedented at the time, as it was among the first times that a major musical act outwardly endorsed a product in a song – and not because they were being paid for it, but because they loved the shoes! It was a personal statement about a product that all three used to express their hard edge (often worn laceless to simulate prison shoes), but was so impactful, that it eventually led to a $1.6 million contract for the Kings of Rock to continue repping Three Stripes.

This year’s special collaboration was a big hit in its own right – a deluxe white leather design whose black accents kept with the simple, yet effective style that’s kept these in sneaker rotations for decades. They absolutely nail the group’s trademark look with their logo on the insoles and appropriated as a shoutout to their fallen DJ on the heels. The ‘My Adidas’ year is added to the tongue tag and embroidered on the lateral heels with a gold dookie chain dubrae serving as the cherry on top. A killer execution celebrating one of the foundations of our modern cultural landscape makes this Run-DMC Superstar 80s a new milestone in the storied adidas x Run DMC legacy and a lock for a well-earned spot in our Top 30 Sneakers of 2011.