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
A Bathing Ape’s Next adidas Stan Smith Is Covered In The Iconic ABC Camo
The adidas Stan Smith and A Bathing Ape have proven to be a formidable partnership in sneakers, delivering streetwear heritage via a simple package that...
BAPE’s 30th Anniversary Rages On With Another Set Of adidas Stan Smiths
For the better part of the last year, A BATHING APE has been celebrating their 30th Anniversary with help from none other than the Three...
Sporty & Rich Prepare The adidas Samba And Stan Smith For A Third Collaboration
Evolving from a moodboard to magazines to its own label, Emily Oberg’s Sporty & Rich brand has pioneered a unique approach to design that stands...
Craig Green Crafts The adidas Stan Smith Entirely Out Of BOOST Foam
Back in 2012, British designer Craig Green crafted a custom adidas sneaker for David Beckham to coincide with the London Olympics. A decade later, Green...
Craig Green Splits The adidas Stan Smith Right Down The Middle
Over the course of several seasons, Craig Green has made quite the mark on the Three Stripes, ushering in what are arguably some of 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 adidas Stan Smith “Homer Simpson” Is Inspired By One Of The Character’s Most Iconic Moments
Being one of the most influential and longest-running shows on the planet, it’s no surprise that The Simpsons has produced countless memes over the course...
Craig Green And adidas Craft The Stan Smith Entirely Out Of BOOST
Autumn/Winter ’22 seemed to mark a big shift for Craig Green x adidas, as the collection featured the collaboration’s most absurd footwear propositions to date....
Highsnobiety Craft Not One But Two Collaborative Colorways Of The adidas Stan Smith
Ever since their founding in 2005, Highsnobiety has been at the forefront of popular culture, reporting on the biggest moments in fashion, music, and the...