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
The adidas Yeezy Slide “Resin” Is Restocking In September
Back in 2019, adidas Yeezy debuted the Yeezy Slide in three region exclusive colorways: “Sand,” “Bone,” and “Resin.” And almost three years later, the latter...
Where To Buy The adidas Yeezy Boost 350 v2 “Slate”
Over the course of the past year, we’ve witnessed the appearance of many a Yeezy Boost 350 v2 colorway. And one of the brand’s earliest...
First Look At The adidas Yeezy 450 “Stone Flax”
Introduced back in 2021, the adidas Yeezy 450 is among one of Ye’s most recent and most divisive designs. And while it’s only seen a...
Where To Buy The Yeezy Foam Runner “Sand” Restock
Despite not receiving the approval of Ye himself, Yeezy Day 2022 was still quite exciting for fans of the brand. And though weeks out from...
The adidas Yeezy Boost 350 v2 CMPCT Gets A “Slate Bone” Makeover
Back in July, it was revealed that the adidas Yeezy Boost 350 v2 CMPCT would be dropping in a “Slate Bone” colorway. And following a...
The adidas Yeezy Boost 350 “Pirate Black” Expected To Return Spring 2023
After the return of the Yeezy Boost 350 “Turtle Dove” on the highly controversial YEEZY DAY earlier in August, it’s only a matter of time...
Where To Buy The adidas Yeezy Slide “Flax”
Updated March 19th, 2024: The Yeezy Slide “Flax” is officially returning on March 20th, 2024 on the Confirmed App. Originally rumored to debut during Yeezy...
The adidas Yeezy Boost 350 v2 “Slate” Releases On September 3rd
Despite an overwhelming sentiment that it’s gotten “old,” the adidas Yeezy Boost 350 v2 continues to form an important part of Kanye West’s sneaker empire....
First Look At The adidas Yeezy Boost 350 v2 “Jade Ash”
In spite of Ye’s dissatisfaction with the Three Stripes, the brand continues to expand on the adidas Yeezy catalog. And alongside additional Yeezy Slides and...