Low Profile, High Impact: The adidas Taekwondo Is Making Moves Off the Mat

Many sneaker trends ebb and flow. At any given moment, a silhouette may be lauded as a must-have while another will be rested after having had their moment in the spotlight, and at the same time, an obscure retro will be declared as the next big thing. Over the past 10 years alone, lightweight runners received a good boost, dad shoes became even chunkier, and now, things have suddenly gotten a whole lot slimmer. With Y2K styling peaking in its 20-year cycle, these slimline, more experimental models are at the peak of conversation. Having dominated the rotations of the fashion set with their army of low-profile styles like the , and , are continuing to ride the minimalist wave. But as other brands begin to move into the low-profile territory Team Trefoil have dipped into the depths of their locker room to reintroduce the adidas – a vintage gem that’s rooted in sport.

Taekwondo as a sport may feel pretty niche when compared to football or running (where other retro silhouettes also originated), but its history runs deep. Taekwondo is a self-defence-based martial art that focuses on striking techniques and blocks, and is believed to have originated around 50 B.C. in Korea. Taekwondo athletes began to embrace shoes around the 1950s, as they offered better support and stability. Because of the rapid-fire reflexes and speedy strikes, these shoes needed to be lightweight and supportive, but remain flexible. Key features also included stitched uppers, which provided a little padding and reinforcement to the leather uppers, and a thin sole, which aided with balance and precision while allowing the fighter to feel connected to the ground. Soles were also engineered to provide grip and traction while retaining a barefoot feel. Taekwondo hit the world stage through the Seoul Olympics in 1988, and adidas were one of the first big brands to move into the sport.

The OG version of the adidas Taekwondo (then dubbed the SMII) got its fair share of mat time in the early 00s, as it was designed specifically to be worn for the sport. But that same period was largely characterised by low-profile sneakers, and though a lot of them were sports-led, many had crossed over into the lifestyle market too. During this era, adidas was experimenting with a range of silhouettes and these ultra-sleek styles also infiltrated the worlds of football, yoga and fashion.

The early 2000s also saw some of the first designer-sportswear collaborations take shape. Japanese designer was one of the figures at the forefront of the movement and had pitched his idea to blend the worlds of fashion and sports to a number of brands, unsuccessfully. Noticing that rival had been experimenting with German designer Jil Sander, Yamamoto brought the crossover idea to adidas, who were willing to take a chance on the vision. Soon after, Yamamoto offered up his take on one of adidas’ low-profile training shoes, the split-soled adidas MEII, in a fancy Brocade fabric to reinterpret it for the fashion market. A year later, adidas and Yamamoto officially announced – a line dedicated to interpreting sportswear through a fashion lens. Years later, in 2019, a shoe that looked similar to the MEII surfaced, as adidas and Y-3 both dropped split-soled silhouettes. Y-3’s came in a soft and flexible leather, while the inline version featured a knit construction. With little explanation, the shoe was renamed the Taekwondo, and it was said to reference a number of archival adidas silhouettes from the 2000s. Somewhat surprisingly, a similar split-soled silhouette also made up 2024 , even though the OG Taekwondo-inspired SMII silhouette was due to make its comeback the same year.

Now back in its OG sport-specific form, the 2024 Taekwondo is another step in the Three Stripes’ retro revival journey. But while the Samba and had the likes of to thank for their gateway to success, the Taekwondo – its name already cemented in fashion history – is gaining traction without present-day cosigns. The silhouette has hit the ground running in key fashion cities like London and Paris, and counts celebrities like Blackpink’s Jennie Kim among its fanbase. Its initial colourways also make it super versatile, meaning that the minimalist model is perfectly positioned to transcend trends. Look beyond the name for a minute and it’s clear that the shape lends itself to styling alongside jorts and football jerseys, but it’ll look equally in place worked into a more coquette, ballet or Scandi-inspired ‘fit.

Given the success of other slimline models, it makes sense to push the boundaries of how far the low-profile trend can go. But although the 2024 Taekwondo remains as close to the ground as possible, it has received a small modification to make it more suitable for the lifestyle market. Not every surface is as soft and forgiving as a Taekwondo mat, so adidas have done us all a favour by subtly bolstering the sole with a slither of foam cushioning. Otherwise, what was once a lean, mean, sparring machine pays tribute to its sporty heritage, even down to the SMII branding that still hits the pair’s sidewalls. Its actual shape is also extremely sleek, culminating in a flattering rounded toebox. The Taekwondo even retains its stitched toebox detail, which once had the bonus of providing extra padding when kicking out, but now serves as a low-key nod to its history as well as adding a premium finish.

With more sport-centric, archival silhouettes set to hit between now and 2025, the adidas Taekwondo is primed with an early-mover advantage. If you’re looking to continue to rep the Three Stripes but are after something a little different to the norm, then you can pick up your pair over at Foot Locker. The White/Black scheme drops September 2, to be followed by the White/Silver and Black/White later in the month.