adidas

adidas, also known as The Three Stripes Brand, is a German sportswear company founded in 1949 by Adolf “Adi” Dassler. With roots in track and football, it has become a global player within the sneaker industry over the past 70 years.

With influence spanning football, basketball, tennis, skateboarding, fencing, and other sports, the company’s first performance-related breakthrough occurred in 1936 within the running space. Jesse Owens famously wore Dassler’s revolutionary canvas and rubber spiked running shoe in the Summer Olympics held in Germany that year. And while Owens’ record-breaking performance at the global competition brought adidas attention, the brand hadn’t yet found its identity; the spikes didn’t feature the brand’s now-signature 3-Stripes logo. (adidas acquired this branding from Finland’s Karhu in 1952.)

The German company achieved similar attention in subsequent decades within both the basketball and tennis spaces thanks to the Superstar (1969) and Stan Smith (1973), respectively. Other made-for-sports models like the adidas Top Ten (1979) and adidas Forum (1984) similarly became lifestyle staples in New York, Boston, Chicago, and other cities. adidas’ Superstar became the unofficial shoe of hip-hop in the 1980s largely due to RUN DMC’s superstardom. (The shell-toe was the best-selling sneaker in North America in 2016.) While less popular stateside, running silhouettes like the SL 72 (1972) and ZX 500 (1984) boast devoted fans of trainers across Europe and Asia. These silhouettes have experienced resurgences throughout the decades, and are now offered under the adidas Originals banner.

Recent years have seen 3-Stripes-branded sneakers soar in popularity, in large part because of the Kanye West led Yeezy sub-label and UltraBOOST, as well as BOOST and adidas 4D cushioning. The German company has also pioneered high-fashion collaborations, hosting Yohji Yamamoto’s Y-3 imprint since 2003. In 2020, classic silhouettes were reimagined by Prada and Craig Green. Elsewhere, partnerships with Beyoncé’s IVY PARK, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, Jonah Hill, Pharrell and others ensured adidas remained the global behemoth it has been for decades.

Throughout 2024, the Three Stripes will surely continue its run as a proponent of the mix between sportswear and fashion. On this end, the brand signed FEAR OF GOD‘s Jerry Lorenzo to drive the creative and business strategy of its basketball category, culminating in the release of the Fear of God Athletics adidas Basketball 1, a shoe set for plenty of releases as the year draws on. It’s also been a banner year for adidas Basketball in terms of their signature athletes, with the German giant releasing Anthony Edwards’ AE1 & James Harden Vol. 8, while continuing a push for the Trae Young 3 and D.O.N. Issue #5.

Scroll below for the latest release dates and information on what adidas has in store for this year.

adidas

The Moncler x adidas Originals Collection Hits Shelves On October 4th

Moncler and adidas were quick to announce their first-ever collaboration, unveiling countless different pieces back in February of this year. And now that the weather...

By Sneaker News October 2, 2023
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Where To Buy The PHILLLLLTHY x adidas NMD S1

Following an early launch on his personal website, Phillip Leyesa–also known as PHILLLLLTHY–finally drops his adidas NMD S1 globally on Wednesday, November 30th. First seen...

By Jovani Hernandez November 22, 2022
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NEIGHBORHOOD Brings Paisley Print To The adidas NMD R1

NEIGHBORHOOD may not currently be on every sneaker enthusiast’s mind, but the Japanese imprint has recently teamed up with adidas to change that. On November...

By Jovani Hernandez November 21, 2022
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Pharrell’s adidas NMD Hu Animal Print Gets A Greyscale Makeover

Fresh off the launch of JOOPITER, Pharrell Williams has revisited his adidas NMD Hu Animal Print collaboration, bringing a tame greyscale arrangement to it. Primeknit...

By Jovani Hernandez November 15, 2022
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Pharrell’s adidas NMD HU Returns In Orange Animal Prints

First established in 2016, the Pharrell x adidas NMD HU lineage continues with the latest iteration of the groundbreaking silhouette. While earlier drops relied on...

By Sneaker News June 17, 2022
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Pharrell And adidas Officially Introduce The Hu NMD S1 RYAT

Unveiled during the Summer of last year, the NMD S1 completely reimagines the original silhouette, effectively evolving one of adidas’ most iconic offerings. And just...

By Michael Le April 19, 2022
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To Honor Premiere Of “The Book Of Boba Fett,” Disney And Lucasfilm Have An adidas NMD R1 And Ozelia On The Way

While the full scope of the “Star Wars” franchise’s trajectory has yet to pan out, it’s inclusion within the world of Disney+ has proven highly-successful...

By Jovani Hernandez December 29, 2021
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Where To Buy The N.E.R.D. x adidas NMD Hu “20th Anniversary”

While not the most commercially successful trio in music, N.E.R.D. has been credited by the likes of Tyler, the Creator as a huge inspiration. To...

By Jovani Hernandez July 27, 2021
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Marimekko’s Debut adidas Collection Blends The Art Of Print-Making With Performance

For decades, adidas has been at the forefront of the marriage between performance sportswear and fashion. Finnish design house, Marimekko, is the latest institution to...

By Sneaker News June 15, 2021
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