Elegance in Simplicity: Superstar- Adidas

Shivaji Saha
Nov 15, 2017
2 min read

At a first glance, I didn't think much of the Superstar while it sat on the shelf in an Adidas Originals store. It’s a simple white rubber leather combo with the usual Adidas 3 stripes branding on both sides, Lotus branding on the back panel and the tongue. Being a low top, the size of the shoe doesn't help it stand out as compared to some other sneakers. The toe shell design is unique because it is totally different from the design on the rest of the shoe. In my opening blog, I had mentioned that I like shoes with 'history'. If there was ever a shoe with history, then this is it.

The Adidas Superstar was first launched in 1969. By the 1970s, about 75% of players in the NBA wore this shoe during games. Talk about capturing market! Its second round of fame came when a rap group Run-DMC made a song on it called ‘My Adidas’. Yes, the shoe has its own dedicated song! The group would wear their shoe with laces open and tongue out and the audience would hold their pairs in hand and wave them around. (Reference- 1000 Sneakers by Mathieu Le Maux)

Though I bought the shoe only because of its historical value, I only got a real appreciation for the shoe once I started to click it for this blog. The Adidas Superstar is probably the most photogenic shoe I have photographed! I know that might sound odd but it’s true, they look amazing in pictures. The black zig zag cut out stripes really stand out against the white body and make for a great click.

One thing that I have to say about the Adidas Superstar is that it is probably the most copied shoe I have ever seen. The simplistic design of the shoe which is one of the prime reasons for its success also makes it an easy victim of counterfeiting. But counterfeiting doesn’t take away anything from this shoe’s achievements. It’s a classic, very easily available and decently priced.