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.
Shopping Links
adidas
Another adidas UltraBOOST 1.0 Retro Takes On A Greyscale Outfit
The adidas UltraBOOST 1.0 debuted in 2015, but it still forms an important part of the brand’s roster of products. Previously touted as the “DNA,”...
The adidas UltraBOOST 1.0 Kicks Off 2023 In Classic “Core Black” And “Cloud White”
The adidas UltraBOOST 1.0 is no longer the premier footwear proposition from the German sportswear behemoth, but it continues to deliver tried-and-proven comfort and style....
Jesse Hall Gets His Own adidas UltraBOOST From The Mighty Ducks Pack
From The Simpsons to South Park, adidas has celebrated many an iconic franchise, series, and film over the course of the past few years. And...
A Seasonal “Focus Olive” Shading Takes Hold Of The adidas Ultra 4DFWD
Providing updated innovation to both its 4D and Ultraboost lines, The Three Stripes house of performance running silhouettes have continued to pick up steam throughout...
adidas’ 4DFWD Sneaker Is Now Available In “Magic Beige”
The adidas 4DFWD may not be as popular as some of the brand’s BOOST-cushined silhouettes, but it delivers a forward-thinking design with proven performance benefits....
NYCFC And Other MLS Teams Get Their Own adidas Ultraboost DNA x Copa
Although adidas continues to explore new cushioning solutions to unlock new possibilities for athletes across the globe, the German sportswear company keeps betting on the...
adidas Adds A Protective Overlay To The UltraBOOST DNA XXII
As a hallmark silhouette in The Three stripes vast catalog of comfort-centric models, the adidas UltraBOOST has undergone numerous reworks while balancing the infusion of...
Another Batch Of NCAA x adidas Ultra Boost 1.0 Pairs Is On the Way
Despite losing out on a handful of important partnerships across global sports, adidas still has a large presence within the world of collegiate basketball within...
END. Clothing And adidas Draw Cues From Pottery For Upcoming UltraBOOST OG “Ceramic Craze”
END. Clothing and adidas have put out a drove of collaborations in the past few years, and 2022 is certainly no exception. Following the release...