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 ZX4000 Returns With Glowing Snakeskin Uppers
adidas’ reignited faith in ZX has brought many a silhouette back into the picture, the brand often using them as canvases for collaborations with milk...
adidas Y-3 Brings Its Signature Craftsmanship To The New ZX Run
adidas and Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto look to expand upon their collaborative Y-3 family try with a brand new footwear model dubbed the ZX Run....
Alltimers And adidas Channel Their Inner Adventurer With The Gazelle Super And ZX4000
Made specially for the avid traveler and modern day adventurer, New York’s Alltimers and adidas craft what is so fittingly dubbed the “Discovery” collection, landing...
Off White And Coral Accents Appear On This Women’s adidas ZX4000
Although it’s been used as the top half of the adidas ZX4000 4D recently, the adidas ZX4000 has also continued to release in more traditionally-styled...
The adidas ZX4000 Returns In Off White And Hot Lime
After releasing what has been an onslaught of modernized and borderline futuristic make-ups, adidas is taking a step back as its goes to the basics,...
South Africa’s Shelflife Designs An adidas ZX4000 With Opposing Nubuck And Jacquard Panels
adidas continues to add to its list of collaborators with another surprising entry, recruiting the South African retailer Shelflife to imbue their own hyper-centric sense...
adidas Brings Back The ZX4000 In Its Original Colorway
The adidas ZX4000 has enjoyed a retro revival as of late, both re-releasing in several classic colorways and serving as the inspiration for the uber-futuristic...
The adidas ZX4000 OG Returns In A “Sesame” Colorway
It’s been a busy last few months for the adidas ZX 4000. Arriving to market in several classic colorways — and serving as inspiration for...
adidas Continues The ZX4000 4D Series With “Black Onix”
At this point, adidas’ design team has become experts at blending past aesthetics and design language with modernized and even futuristic technology, and no sneaker...