The adidas Superstar is the godfather of all adidas shoes. How did a basketball shoe go on to earn such a reputation and global iconic status? First introduced in 1969, the Superstar was a low-top version of the Pro Model and was the first low-top leather basketball shoe to be made.

The shoe made such an immediate impact with some of the best players from the NCAA and NBA that within the first few years it was being worn by over 75% of all NBA players. Instantly identifiable by its rubber toe box, it became know to millions across the world as the 'shell toe'.

With a single shoe making such a sporting impact it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened.

The shoe made the leap from the courts to the streets. People started wearing them as casual sneakers and the general public instantly caught on.

In 1983 the shoe was about to be propelled into super stardom. Straight out of the street of Queens came Run-D.M.C., a rap group that refused to conform to the pop standards and let their Superstars do the talking. By wearing the shoe without any laces and pushing the tongue out in a prison-style manner, the shoe received unheard of rebel status. Soon, with tours across the US, every man and women in the country was aware of the shoe making it a shoe icon of popular fashion culture.

The Superstar began its life as a performance basketball shoe but soon made the transition from the court to the street, soon becoming one of the most iconic shoes in the world today.

Originals Superstar 80s » Show me