Adidas Originals

With its Trefoil logo and classic silhouettes, Adidas is one of the world’s widely recognized sneakers and sports apparel brands. Their products are synonymous with athletes and fashion-enthusiasts all over the world. Initially, Adidas focused on sports performance. However, the Trefoil gained lots of recognition from different areas of life, more than sport. Adidas tried shifting back the focus to its original sporting roots in 1990 by rebranding the logo. But despite this, people’s love for the Trefoil outside sport didn’t die out. Owing to the popularity of the brand among other walks of life. Adidas relaunched all their products carrying the Trefoil as Adidas Originals in 2001.

Adidas is a renowned German sportswear company founded by Adolf Dassler in 1949 after a quarrel with his older brother Rudolf Dassler. Before then, they worked together for 28 years in their shoe factory called “Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory.” After the said quarrel, they parted ways. Adolf founded Adidas (an amalgamation of his first and surnames – Adi-Das), while Rudolf founded Puma. The larger of the two rival brands, Adidas, is the largest sportswear producer in Europe and the second-largest in the world after Nike.

Adidas Originals Review

Each of the Originals products has the trademark “Trefoil” as a redefinition of traditional designs worn by past athletes. It showcases over 30 years of its sports heritage in a fashionable and modern way. Launching with the tagline ‘Once Innovative, Now Classic, Always Authentic,’ it met global popularity. The Adidas Originals provide consumers with footwear & apparel that were once cutting edge sports performance but are now fashionable products. Every product has a real story, which makes it unique and special. They uniquely blend sport and lifestyle. When you buy Adidas Originals, you are buying into over 70 years of Adidas heritage. Indeed, they are the Adidas brand’s heritage. 

Originals Footwear

Focusing on shoes, classic Adidas shoes such as the Superstar Gazelle and the Continental 80 continue to be sought-after. Sports, like basketball, running, skate, soccer, tennis, etc., still use shoes. Adidas Originals shoes work with the foot, not against them, to achieve maximum performance and comfort. Made with state-of-the-art technology that has stood the test of time, these shoes are iconic.

Adidas Originals Superstar

Adidas Superstar Shoes | Image Source: Adidas

This shoe is arguably the most iconic shoe ever made by Adidas. Moreover, the release of the Adidas Originals Superstars led to increased recognition for Adidas. Launched in 1969 as the world’s first low top specialized basketball shoe. Basketballers fell in love with it, and by the early 1970s, the Adidas Originals Superstar accounted for 10% of overall Adidas sales. By the mid-1970s, the highest-profile basketball players of the era were wearing the Superstars, including the legendary Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

Over time, the Adidas Superstar technology was outdone by other basketball shoe innovations, but demand didn’t die out. Subsequently, it found a new lease of life and attained new fame as a lifestyle sneaker ubiquitous in the emerging hip-hop scene. In 1985, Run DMC, the most influential hip-hop band globally, received a multi-million dollar endorsement deal with Adidas. This was due to their dressing in Adidas Originals Superstars and tracksuits, which became a trend back then. 

In the 90s, Adidas trainers found a new audience amongst the skate scene. Pro skaters such as Keith Hufnagel and Mark Gonzalez started skating in Adidas Originals Superstar. They found out it withstood the endless scraping of the grip that comes with skating. Thus, skaters benefited from the extra longevity and protection the shell toe provided. Furthermore, this ushered the shoe into a new era. The hip-hop and skateboarding lifestyle began the Adidas Originals Superstar modern-day streetwear culture. Plus, you can’t go wrong with any outfit wearing this shoe.

Women’s Adidas Originals

Subsequently, women got a liking for the Adidas Originals Superstar. They began to wear them in huge numbers, which made Adidas designed a version of the shoe tailored for a woman’s feet. In doing so, the superstar sales skyrocketed, and the fame of the shoe grew more. The Adidas originals superstar women’s shoe is similar to that of the men’s but takes the shape of a woman’s foot. 

In the early 2000s, Adidas increased the popularity of the Superstar shoe. Adidas started collaborating with top designers and celebrities worldwide. The very first collaboration they made was with Hiroshi Fujiwara’s student Nigo.  Together, they created a new version of the Superstar in four colorways called Super Ape Star. This Superstar version earned global acceptance, with sales coming from every angle. 

However, it wasn’t until 2005 that Adidas made another collaboration. The occasion was the Adidas Superstar 35th anniversary. To celebrate, they collaborated with fashion, music, and art icons to release 35 versions of the Superstar shoe. These 35 versions of Superstars are in five groups. Consortium series, Expression series, Music series, City series, and the Anniversary series. Among the series, the consortium sold the most. 

Onward always, Adidas collaborates with celebrities, designers, and other footwear brands to design new versions of the Superstar. To date, both men and women still love the Adidas Originals Superstar shoe. Plus, it cuts across all works of life. Presently, there are tons of Superstar shoe designs, but some features remain to show its identity.

Features include –

• Lace closure.
• Leather upper.
• Iconic leather shoes.
• Rubber outsole.
• They are sleek, durable, comfortable for long walks and running.
• The price of this shoe is between $90 to $160, depending on size.

Originals Continental 80

Adidas Continental 80 | Image Source: Adidas

First introduced in the 80s as continental, the shoe got a rebranding as the Continental 80 in June 2018. The previous model features remained, including the softness of the leather uppers. However, it had new details such as the perforated hits on the toe box, the side panels, and the dual cup-sole design. The Adidas Originals Continental 80 consists of a two-colored stripe running from the side of the shoe underneath a Trefoil-branded window below the lace panels. The simplicity, easy fitting to outfits, styling, and low cost of the Adidas Originals Continental 80 make it unique. It is highly sought after by people from different walks of life.

Since the successful comeback of the Adidas Originals Continental 80, Adidas has been adding innovations to it. They included a version with velcro straps instead of laces, and they used a different material on the uppers. The Adidas Originals Continental 80 has different varieties. The softness of the shoe makes it very comfortable. It’s durable, lightweight, and runs true to size. The price ranges from $40 -$100, depending on size.

Originals NMD r1

Adidas NMD_R1 | Image Source: Adidas

Released in 2015, this sneaker is part of Adidas Originals’ new line of sneakers promoting the reflective boost midsole. Adidas Originals NMD r1 is a state-of-the-art design that takes elements from classics such as the Micro Pacer, Boston Super, and Rising star. The prime knit uppers supply extra strength, flexibility, and stability on top of the Boost midsoles. Moreover, Adidas has named the NMD r1 as their most responsive cushioning. Plus, the boost property of the Originals NMD r1 makes it super comfortable, lightweight, and suitable for all-day wear. This shoe runs true to size, and the price is between $140 – $170.

This line of Adidas shoes is for a lifestyle without boundaries. Despite massive retro innovative releases from Nike, Puma, Under Armour, they continue to shine bright.

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