50 years of the Superstar
A gallery through 50 years of the adidas shelltoe.
In partnership with adidas
Words: The Face
Now in its 50th year, the adidas Superstar is a shoe nestled at the intersection of sneakers, streetwear and rap, worn by B‑ballers, hip-hoppers, acid jazzers and singers over the years. From the moment that hip-hop trio Run-DMC cemented the shoe’s iconic pop cultural status in the mid-1980s with their track My Adidas, through to its reworks by pop culture icon Pharrell Williams and avant-garde fashion designer Rick Owens – the Superstar was, and still is, a cultural signifier.
The Superstar’s iconic status is an amalgam of the very same reference points that gave rise to streetwear – hip-hop, skateboarding and sportswear – all of which are reflected in the Superstar archives. From collaborations with A Bathing Ape, to a bespoke run of Beastie Boys Superstars – journey through 50 years of the adidas shelltoe in the gallery below.
adidas Originals x A Bathing Ape unreleased prototype
Model: Super Apestar
Year of manufacture: 2003
Designed by Kazuki Kuraishi when he was working at A Bathing Ape, these were one of several options that were sampled but never went into production.
Robbie Williams “Rudebox” Superstar vintage
Model: Superstar vintage reissue
Year of manufacture: 2007
Specially made up for Robbie Williams’ Rudebox photo shoot, this was one of ten bespoke colourways selected by Robbie. There were matching tracksuits too. Fancy.
White/Black OG Superstar
Model: Superstar
Year of manufacture: 1970 – 72
This was the very first iteration of the adidas Superstar “Made in France”. Many Superstars were manufactured in France through the ’70s and early ’80s. Those years saw the birth of hip-hop and many associate the “Made in France” sign off on the Superstar with the magic of those early years.
Music series Red Hot Chili Peppers “Flea” Version 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar 1
Year of manufacture: 2005
An unreleased 35th Anniversary Music series shoe created by Flea. These were created as an extremely small run of 20 pairs that were given to Flea’s friends and family members.
adidas Originals x A Bathing Ape white embossed
Model: Super Apestar
Year of manufacture: 2003
One of the final shoes from a collaboration with A Bathing Ape – this was the first time adidas produced the Superstar with a deliberately “yellowed” sole to make them feel a bit vintage.
Consortium series D‑Mop 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar vintage reissue
Year of manufacture: 2005
D‑Mop Hong Kong was invited to create a shoe for the 35th Anniversary series in 2005. The anniversary saw the first ever adidas Consortium releases. adidas Consortium pushed a new concept where independent sneaker boutiques were invited to work on small runs of co-branded shoes.
adidas Originals x A Bathing Ape camouflage
Model: Super Apestar
Year of manufacture: 2003
In 2003 adidas Originals teamed up with A Bathing Ape to produce four Superstars that carried the tag line “The Respect is Mutual”.
Ian Brown introduced A Bathing Ape designer Kazuki Kuraishi to adidas to kick start the collaboration that proved to be a milestone in the sportswear industry – the first time a streetwear and sportswear brand had overtly produced a co-branded product.
Consortium series Undefeated 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar vintage reissue
Year of manufacture: 2005
Established in 2002, Undefeated Los Angeles is the original sneaker boutique. They were invited to design their own shoe for the 35th Anniversary Consortium series – something that was unheard of at the time. The shoes were a massive hit and immediately became a collectors item.
Consortium series Union 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar vintage reissue
Year of manufacture: 2005
Union – another US based boutique – were invited to design a shoe for the Superstar 35th Anniversary project. Released on New Years Day 2005 they sold out immediately on release.
Expression series “Disney” 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar 1
Year of manufacture: 2005
The Expression series saw Disney draw inspiration from their Sport Goofy line. The andromorphic dog appears tangled in a basketball net – a nod to adidas’s heritage and their first collaboration with Disney back in the 1980s.
adidas Originals x A Bathing Ape “Friends and Family” edition
Model: Super Apestar
Year of manufacture: 2003
These were called the “Friends and Family edition” due to the fact they never became available for sale, only 100 pairs were manufactured. This is now a highly sought after silhouette.
Expression series Andy Warhol 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar 1
Year of manufacture: 2005
As part of the Expression range, this shoe features a repeat print from Andy Warhol’s “Athlete’s Series” and depicts portraits of adidas athlete Kareem Abdul Jabbar in the L.A. Lakers colourway – the team for which he played for much of his career.
Expression series Lee Quinones 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar 1
Year of manufacture: 2005
NYC graffiti artist Quinones became a global icon in the world of graffiti after starring in the first ever hip-hop movie Wild Style. In acknowledgement of his influence on an art form that has close connections to the history of the Superstar he was invited by adidas to come up with his own design.
Music series Red Hot Chili Peppers 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar 1
Year of manufacture: 2005
Designed by the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ front man Anthony Kiedis, this shoe takes its inspiration from tailoring – specifically the pinstripe suit.
Consortium series Footpatrol 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar vintage reissue
Year of manufacture: 2005
Footpatrol were the sole invitee from London to the Consortium series for the 35th Anniversary celebrations.
Music series Underworld/Tomato 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar 1
Year of manufacture: 2005
Karl Hyde and Rick smith aka British electronic super group Underworld have always been members of British design collective “Tomato” and collectively they designed a shoe for the 35th Anniversary Music series. The music series deliberately invited artists from different genres of music to demonstrate the versatility of the Superstar.
Run-DMC X Keith Haring Christmas in Hollis
Model: Superstar 80
Year of manufacture: 2013
This US only release was inspired by Run DMC’s 1987 fundraising single Christmas in Hollis. The shoe uses original artwork from Keith Haring and an internal ankle sock to give the option of wearing them without laces – a quirk that was ever present in Run-DMC’s styling.
Music series Bad Boy Recordings 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar 1
Year of manufacture: 2005
Music mogul and owner of the Bad Boy Recordings, Sean Combs was invited to be part of the 35th Anniversary Music inspired range. Representing how the shoe has maintained its relevance in hip-hop culture from day one he opted for a colour palette synonymous with his personal style.
White/Red OG Superstar
Model: Superstar
Year of manufacture: 1980
In this French classic white and red colourway we see how the silhouette was adjusted in the ’80s. The “open toe” design saw a number of early participants in hip-hop culture put their own exaggerated “fat laces” into the shoes as an early form of customisation.
White/Snake OG Superstar
Model: Superstar
Year of manufacture: 1982
The use of snake skin detailing led to what became the very first cult version Superstar. Putting this stripe and heel twist on a timeless classic smacked of aspiration and created massive excitement amongst the early ’80s hip-hop community.
Top Secret 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar 1
Year of manufacture: 2005
In order to win the top secret 35th Anniversary Superstar, fans were given clues and had to complete a series of tasks. The box, packaging and associated accessories were like nothing the industry had seen before making them re-evaluate what a premium shoe is. The resale value went through the roof immediately and they are still arguably the most desirable and collectible Superstar ever produced.
Music series Ian Brown 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar 1
Year of manufacture: 2005
Friend of adidas Originals and long-time Superstar wearer Ian Brown’s trainer was number 16 out of the 35 pairs released in 2005 his version for the Music series. A print of Ian’s hand written lyrics appears on the footbed and a flyer for his Solarized album came inside the box.
Consortium series Neighborhood 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar Vintage reissue
Year of manufacture: 2005
After moving on from A Bathing Ape, designer Kazuki Kuraishi went on to work on the collaboration between adidas Originals and Japanese streetwear brand Neighborhood. It was a new concept that created another industry benchmark that saw adidas Originals work collaboratively with independent boutiques around the world.
Futurecraft
Model: Superstar 2 milled leather
Year of manufacture: 2015
Only 45 pairs of the Futurecraft were made to celebrate 45 years of the shoe. They were sold for $500 at Dover St Market’s New York, London and Tokyo locations. adidas and industrial designer Alexander Taylor teamed up to create an automated milling process known as CNC Machining for this shoe.
Rasta Hemp
Model: Superstar 2
Year of manufacture: 2005
Named by collectors as the Superstar 2 “Rasta” this entire upper of this American exclusive is made from hemp with red, gold and green stripes.
NY Beastie Boys 35th Anniversary all city 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar 1
Year of manufacture: 2006
These Superstars were never available to the public and were produced as a gift and gesture of goodwill to the Beastie Boys and their entourage. Only a dozen pairs were ever produced.
Yoda force pack
Model: Superstar 1
Year of manufacture: 2007
In 2007 adidas Originals Consortium created the Superstar 1 “Force” pack – there was a dark side (Darth Vader) and a light side (Yoda). Paying tribute to the vintage Star Wars toys from the late ’70s, both uppers emulated the character’s costumes and the sole tread and lace tips are a nod to the lightsabres used in the original Star Wars trilogy.
White/Bone OG Superstar
Model: Superstar ’80s
Year of manufacture: 1985
A perfect example of a mid ’80s Superstar release.
adidas Originals x X‑Large
Model: Superstar 80 reissue
Year of manufacture: 2009
adidas originals ”Five Two 3“ hooked up with X‑large clothing on this Superstar 80s with multi-coloured snake skin design.
The spare laces feature the words ”no respect since 91” – a nod to the tagline of the 2003 collaboration with A Bathing Ape.
adidas Originals x Kinetic
Model: Superstar 80 reissue
Year of manufacture: 2009
Tokyo based store Kinetics collaborated on this bold shoe using various fake animal skins across its upper.
Red Snake Superstar 80s
Model: Superstar 80 reissue
Year of manufacture: 2008
As one of the first versions of the Superstar ’80s reissues this vibrant red faux snake skin shoe is designed to stand out.
Toronto Raptors
Model: Superstar 1
Year of manufacture: 2006
In 2006 adidas Originals released its series of shelltoes as part of a sponsorship deal with the NBA. Superstars were made to represented all 30 teams.
Def Jam Recordings
Model: Superstar 80 reissue
Year of manufacture: 2010
adidas Originals collaborated with Def Jam on apparel and footwear and these Superstars were the result.
Green Hemp
Model: Superstar 2
Year of manufacture: 2001
This is the earliest version of a Superstar that uses hemp for the upper. They were produced exclusively for the Japanese market.
KZK x Clot x adidas Originals ObyO
Model: Superstar 80 reissue
Year of manufacture: 2009
As part of his ongoing collections for Originals By Originals, Kazuki Kuraishi teamed up with Hong Kong’s Clot to create the the “KZKLOT” Superstar.
KZK X Whiz LTD x adidas Originals ObyO
Model: Superstar 80 reissue
Year of manufacture: 2009
Whiz Ltd and Kazuki Kuraishi merge forces on this burgundy shoe for Originals By Originals.
Brown Waxed Leather made in Hungary
Model: Superstar 80
Year of manufacture: 1991
Very few Superstars were made in Hungary but this brown pair from 1991 was. Made in Hungary Superstars are now hard to come by.
Consortium Footpatrol 10th Anniversary
Model: Superstar 80s Vintage
Year of manufacture: 2015
A decade on from their original Consortium shoe Footpatrol designed a new shoe for the 45th Anniversary of the Superstar.
Consortium Union 10th Anniversary
Model: Superstar 80s Vintage
Year of manufacture: 2015
Ten years on from their Superstar creation, Union LA went for something a little different – an ’80s shell with a vintage feel.
adidas Originals x UNDFTD x A Bathing Ape blue camo
Model: Superstar ’80s vintage
Year of manufacture: 2015
In 2015 Undefeated, A Bathing Ape and adidas Originals teamed up on a three way collaboration and these blue camo Superstar ’80s were the result.
Expression series Project Playground 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar 1
Year of manufacture: 2005
As part of the 35th Anniversary Expression series New York based Project Playground collaborated on this unusual iteration of the Superstar – designed by Bobbito Garcia – that nods to basketball heritage.
adidas Originals x Invincible
Model: Superstar 80s vintage
Year of manufacture: 2015
Taiwanese retailer Invincible wanted to create a shoe inspired by tradition – and here it is.
Music series Run DMC 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar 1
Year of manufacture: 2005
Using their signature colour palette the 35th anniversary Music series honoured Superstar pioneers Run-DMC and this pair is signed by Rev Run and DMC.
Consortium series Tate 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar Vintage reissue
Year of manufacture: 2005
Germany’s T.A.T.E. “Tough Against The Elements” was the third store to collaborate on Adidas‘ 35th Anniversary. Owner and designer Tina Friese took her inspiration from vintage military camouflage.
adidas Originals x Mastermind
Model: Superstar 80 reissue
Year of manufacture: 2013
Streetwear brand Mastermind collaborated with adidas in 2013 on a number of sleek black footwear silhouettes.
Music series Missy Elliot 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar 1
Year of manufacture: 2005
As part of the 35th Anniversary Music series adidas produced the Missy Elliot Superstar – a loyal wearer of the brand.
Run DMC 25th Anniversary “My adidas”
Model: Superstar 80 reissue
Year of manufacture: 2011
To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Run-DMC’s worldwide hit “My adidas” adidas released 1986 pairs of this Superstar 80s model.
Expression series Upper Playground 35th Anniversary
Model: Superstar 1
Year of manufacture: 2005
The Expression series worked with designers and artists from various disciplines to come up with their own take on the Superstar. Design collective Upper Playground came up with this distinctive BBQ themed shoe.
adidas Originals x A Bathing Ape x Neighborhood
Model: Superstar mid Boost
Year of manufacture: 2017
A very limited 3‑way collaboration with adidas Originals, A Bathing Ape and Neighborhood. This broke the mould with its primeknit and suede mix.
White/Navy OG Superstar
Model: Superstar
Year of manufacture: 1986
Originally released at the height of Run-DMC’s popularity, these were the version of the Superstar that kids would have been waving above their heads at those pioneering rap concerts. Run-DMC went on to be the first ever non-athletic entertainers to strike a major partnership deal with a global sportswear brand.
