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.

adidas

First Look At The Dover Street Market x adidas Samba

Per insider @brandon1an, Dover Street Market is renewing their collaborative relationship with adidas. Last linking up for the Dover Street Market adidas Stan Smith back...

By Matt Varga March 1, 2024
1608

The adidas Y-3 Gendo Run Takes The Three Stripes To The Next Century

Updated March 13, 2024: An additional colorway of the adidas Y-3 Gendo Run in “Ice Blue” has emerged. Below you’ll find a full gallery of...

By Matt Varga February 29, 2024
2531

Halfcourt Heroics: A Well Timed “Cavs” adidas D.O.N. Issue #5 Appears

Perfect timing? With Max Strus delivering an instant classic moment last night via a well behind half-court game winner, everything seems to be turning up...

By Matt Varga February 28, 2024
291

Premium White Leather Carries The adidas Stan Smith Lux

The adidas Stan Smith is a symbol of timeless design, a consideration put front and center on “Lux” iterations that typically feature simple, versatile palettes...

By Andrew Rizzo February 28, 2024
374

ESPN Celebrates 45th Anniversary With An adidas Top Ten 2000 Collaboration

In 2021, ESPN and adidas Originals fittingly collaborated on a retro take on the ESPN Top Ten silhouette, bringing the sports media giant’s signature colors...

By Sneaker News February 28, 2024
704

Fear Of God Athletics x adidas “Clay” Pack Is Dropping On March 3rd

Fear of God Athletics appears set to release a “Clay” pack of adidas footwear on March 3rd, dressing its Basketball 1 and Los Angeles silhouettes...

By Andrew Rizzo February 28, 2024
2018

The adidas SL72 Is Poised For A Huge Comeback

The adidas SL72, a shoe that represents a true watershed moment for the Three Stripes as they were adopted everywhere by global athletes, is finally...

By Matt Varga February 27, 2024
1752

“Acid Orange” Drips On The adidas Trae Young 3

Trae Young wasn’t a part of adidas’ NBA All-Star Weekend sneaker rollout, the Atlanta Hawks star expected to debut his next signature shoe sometime this...

By Andrew Rizzo February 27, 2024
295

The Ninja Turtles x adidas Superstar Comes With Toy Packaging And A Comic Book

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise turns 40 this year, and adidas is celebrating the occasion with an inspired footwear capsule that plays off the...

By Andrew Rizzo February 27, 2024
4681