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.
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adidas
Fear Of God Athletics x adidas Runner Revealed In Grey Colorway
After almost three whole years of anticipation, Fear of God and adidas are finally taking the next steps, recently unveiling their collaborative collection at the...
The SNS x adidas “Rotation Pack” Is Comprised Of Five Different Icons
Sneakersnstuff, often abbreviated “SNS,” has a rather intimate relationship with the Three Stripes. In addition to numerous exclusives, adidas has provided the retailer with many...
Where To Buy The adidas Yeezy Slide “Granite”
The adidas Yeezy partnership is just days away from its official conclusion. As the German sportswear behemoth offloads the remnants of its collaborative stock, styles...
Kanye West And adidas Almost Dropped A Yeezy Samba Shoe
Initially revealed in its high-top form courtesy of A$AP Bari in 2019, the Yeezy 150 has remained an obscure offshoot from the collaborative 3-Stripes banner;...
Kith Classics Adds A Dash Of Royal Blue To Their Latest Collaborative Capsule With adidas
After hitting the green in not one but two golf-appropriate Sambas, Kith Classics and adidas are reprising their partnership to pay homage to an entirely...
No Comply Debuts adidas Copa Premiere With Austin FC
From the pitch to the skate park, soccer and skateboarding have remained relatively removed from one another, that is up until the reveal of adidas’...
Where To Buy The adidas Yeezy Slides “Slate Grey”
The 3-Stripes has been clearing out its shelves of Yeezy-branded footwear throughout the month of August. From the Waverunner 700 to the Yeezy 950, the...
Where To Buy The adidas Stan Smith “Homer Simpson”
In early 2021, The Simpsons and adidas began a partnership that’s brought some of the series’ most beloved characters and references to sneaker form. Soon,...
The Bad Bunny x adidas Response CL “Bad Bunny Day” To Shock Drop In Boston On August 18th
Puerto Rican pop and hip-hop star Bad Bunny has quickly become a go-to collaborator with the 3-Stripes over the past few years. From curing the...