From Stan Smith to the Superstar, adidas is the Home of Classics
From the emerald green heel tabs to the shell-toed construction – via a mysterious detour with the – the archive in Herzogenaurach, Germany, is packed with some of the most iconic court-inspired designs in the history of sneakers. As a tribute to Adi Dassler’s relentless search for perfection over the past 70 years and more, adidas have cooked up the Home of Classics. Chock full of pristine white leather and supreme baseline style, the celebratory pack reimagines a trio of Three Stripes stalwarts and introduces a heritage-inspired to the squad. This is a no-frills tribute that showcases each model’s status as a certifiable street staple!
The purpose-built design changed the game with premium leather construction, while the subtle Three Stripes perforations are proof that ostentatious branding isn’t a prerequisite for success. Instead, adi simply coupled the buttery smooth build with contrasting green highlights and an iconic tongue badge featuring Smith’s own cheery likeness. Nearly five decades since its debut, the Stan Smith has gone from tennis legend to street staple to an omnipresent force in the Three Stripes lineup. The patriarch of ? You’re looking at it!
Just as the Stan Smith did for tennis, the Superstar revolutionised basketball footwear in the 1970s, with a low-top leather build that destroyed the ubiquitous canvas high-tops that had dominated the hardwood in the decades prior. By the mid-1980s, hip hop had co-opted the Superstar for the street (and stage) sans laces and with a tracksuit to match. You may not see many sneakerheads rocking laceless Superstars these days, but the shell-toed classic hasn’t gone anywhere – just ask the likes of Nigo, Pharrell, Palace, Hender Scheme, Jason Dill, and Anthony Van Engelen.
Buoyed by the success of the Powerphase (an aerobics-era silhouette that debuted as part of adi’s ‘Magic’ line back in 1986) and its Yeezy co-sign a year earlier, adidas finally brought the Continental back in all its terry-lined glory in 2018. Now of the Home of Classics, the future prospects of the Continental 80 seem assured.
The stitched toe bumpers and ever-so-slightly exaggerated midsole combine for a clean and modern aesthetic. All in all, the Supercourt is shaping up as an instant classic in the making!