Adidas Superstar

A pair of Adidas Superstar II with a black color and white stripes.

Superstar is a basketball shoe manufactured by athletic goods company adidas since 1969, released as a low top version of the Pro Model basketball shoe. Nicknamed the "shelltoe", "shell shoes" or "shell tops" for its rubber shell toe piece, its iconic design is known for being one of the major influences in the sneaker culture.

History

When the shoe was introduced, it was the first low-top basketball shoe to feature an all-leather upper and the now famous rubber shelltoe. With its rubber toe protection and non-marking sole, the shoe caught the attention of some of the best players from the NCAA and NBA, most notably Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Within the first few years of its introduction, the Superstar was being worn by over 75% of all NBA players; proof of its revolutionary technology which remains relevant today. Over the course of the next few years, it would advance from the court to the sidewalk and, consequently, further into the public's consciousness.

In 1983, straight out of Hollis, Queens, came Run-D.M.C., a rap group that refused to conform to pop standards by deciding that they would dress on stage the way they dressed on the streets. The trio was most notable for wearing the Superstars without any laces and pushing the tongue of the shoe out, imitating the fashion inside a prison. The Superstar received a lot of promotion from the rap group as they went out on tours across the US, increasing adidas' sales on the Superstar shoe. Responding to an anti-sneaker rap song by Jerrald Deas called "Felon Sneakers", the trio released a song of their own called "My Adidas" in 1986. The song paid tribute to the Superstar shoe, and attempted to flip the stereotype of the 'b-boy'. Adidas eventually signed a deal with the rap group for 1 million dollars after realising how much promotion their product received from the trio. The deal made between Run-D.M.C. and Adidas was the first endorsement deal between hip-hop artists and a major corporation, and a Run-D.M.C. line of clothing from Adidas was subsequently released.

No longer a performance basketball shoe, the Superstar shoes have become part of popular fashion culture and have become popular as casual footwear due to their all leather upper and wide variety of styles and colors. The Superstars, like the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars, easily made the transition from the basketball court to street as it was sported by hip-hop aficionados. In the late 1980s, 'b-boys' wore the shoes with extra thick laces called "fat laces", usually matching the color of the laces with the color of the three stripes on their shoe.

The Superstars are now being sold in Adidas stores, with brand new colorways and designs that are tailored to the different NBA teams.

35th Anniversary Series

In 2005, adidas commemorated the 35th anniversary of the Superstar by collaborating with icons from the world of music, fashion and arts to create the adidas 35th Anniversary collection.

Superstar 35th Anniversary Music Series #15 Run DMC

Popular culture

• Run-D.M.C. are the most notable group who wore adidas superstars
• Graffiti artists have been wearing them since they were first introduced.
• The superstar shoe is a popular choice among breakdancers
• Underworld artist Karl Hyde always wears Adidas Superstars on stage.
• Casey Affleck's character wears a pair of Superstars in the film Gone Baby Gone
• Moby's video for Body Rock featured a dancer in Adidas Superstars.
• In the film High Fidelity, John Cusack is seen sporting a pair of black and white Adidas Superstars.
• Drummer Joey Jordison from nu-metal band Slipknot wears black Adidas Superstars during live performances, as well as photo sessions with the band. He can be seen wearing them in their Grammy Award winning video "Before I Forget" as well as their video for "The Nameless" from "9.0 Live".
• In Good Charlotte's video for "Girls and Boys" Joel is dancing in white Adidas track suit and a pair of Adidas Superstars.
• Lady Sovereign wears Superstars in her "Love Me or Hate Me" video.
• On the PC version of the video game Grand Theft Auto 3, Claude (Grand Theft Auto) is wearing a pair of white Adidas Superstars on the "playa2" skin.
• In the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Tommy Vercetti is wearing a pair of white Adidas Superstars.
• In the video game Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, Toni Cipriani is wearing a pair of white Adidas Superstars when wearing his "Antonio" outfit.
• In the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, Victor Vance is wearing a pair of white Adidas Superstars after being kicked out of the military.
• In the video game Grand Theft Auto IV, Niko Bellic can buy a pair of Adidas Superstars.
• In the Tata Young's Music Video Come Rain Come Shine ( Her 3rd Single from her second album "Temperature Rising" ) She's wears Superstar with Flip-Flap Diamonds on her shoes.
• In the Shawty Get Loose Music Video, Chris Brown is wearing white Adidas Superstars.
• In C-Side's 2008 music video Boyfriend/Girlfriend, Bo-Q is noticed wearing a pair of black Adidas Superstars.
• In Missy Elliott's 2005 music video Lose Control, hip hop dancers perform wearing white Adidas Superstars on both their Feet and Hands.
• In Jay-Z's 2007 music video "Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)", Jay-Z is noticed wearing a pair of white Adidas Superstars.
• In Black Eyed Peas's 2004 music video Shut Up (Black Eyed Peas song), Fergie is noticed wearing a pair of white Adidas Superstars.
• In Cherish's 2008 music video "Killa", hip-hop dancers perform wearing black Adidas Superstars.
• Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald of Slightly Stoopid are often seen wearing Adidas Superstars.
• In Sum 41's video for Motivation, Deryck Whibley is wearing white Adidas Superstars.
• Chris Martin of Coldplay has continued to wear superstars on stage since the bands X&Y tour in 2005.
• Members of nu-metal band Korn wear Adidas Superstars on stage and in music videos such as Shoots and Ladders, Clown, A.D.I.D.A.S., Somebody Someone and Y'all Want a Single.
• Rock bands wearing Adidas Superstars in past or recent years include Korn, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, Deftones, Papa Roach, Staind, Incubus, Puddle Of Mudd, Sum 41, Clutch and many more.
• Tom Gabel of punk band Against Me! can be seen more often than not in Adidas Superstars.
• In Hidden Agenda's music video Craig David is wearing a pair of black and white Adidas Superstars. Exactly in the video's last part with Roselyn Sanchez. Also at Wembley Arena live concert, he's wearing white Adidas Superstars.
• Lil' Bow Wow is wearing a pair of Adidas Superstars, in Irresistible's music video with Jessica Simpson and Jermaine Dupri.

External links

• MBT sports shoes
• The Worlds Most Iconic Sports Shoe
• Superstar at shopadidas.com
• Shop for MBT sports shoes
• the number 1 resource for adidas superstar info