If you had a wide amount of knowledge about sneaker, you know how valuable the history of an athletes shoe is. Millions of basketball sneakers have sold because of the player that endorsed the product. They are usually highly sought after and tend to sell out very quickly. Even today, designer brands are often influenced by signature shoes that classic athletes wore. One of the most iconic sneakers ever was the Adidas Stan Smith. Not only was it a great shoe, but it allowed people to look dressy with a pair of sneaker. It was definitely a turning point in the design of sneakers because the shoe had so many fans.
Stan Smith a was a great tennis player. In 1973, Adidas approached Smith with the idea of him endorsing the Haillet shoe. The shoe is a low-top which must have scared consumers, knowing that tons of other shoes that athletes wore were high-top sneakers. The materials use a white leather upper and a green Stan Smith logo. There are three lines of perforations on each side of each sneaker. It’s important to note that other Adidas sneakers have three stripes on the sides of each sneaker. Just having a full leather upper gave the shoe a dressy look.
“Sneaker Report” has listed the endorsement as the 13th most important sneaker endorsement of all time. In 1988, the shoe has reportedly sold 22 million sneakers. Even today when compared with Adidas’ other shoes, its one of their highest selling sneakers. Smith was the number one ranked player in the world at the time, and that influence really helped to sell the sneaker. Today, there are three popular versions. The original has a thin tongue and a trefoil logo next to Stans face. The Stan Smith II has a thicker tongue and removed Stan’s face and signature. They also added lining. The Stan Smith 80s featured a yellowed sole, yellowish laces and a neowhite upper.
In his career, Stan Smith has won seven grand slams. He even won the Wimbledon his Adidas shoes. Unfortunately, many people Smith for the fashion that he influenced. Today, the shoe has sold over 50 million pairs. There are over 100 different collaborations and variations of the sneaker. With all of the influences the shoe has had over the years, you can say its one of the few sneakers that transcends footwear.
David Beckham had been seen wearing the sneaker with suit on the red carpet. Model Karlie Kloss has been shown wearing the sneaker with a dress in her daily life. Singer Usher, wore the shoe on the red carpet the a suit and had an umbrella. Even people like Melania Trump have worn the shoe because she enjoys it. It just goes to show the versatility. If someone didn’t want to wear the shoe because their afraid that it won’t go with what they wear, there is likely the proper outfit. This type of versatility is good for footwear since people are more accepting of creativity.
Adidas has always wanted to push the envelope for creativity. In 2013, they created the Adidas ultra boost and uses the prime knit and boost materials. These materials are so popular that they’ve been featured on other Adidas classics. In the case of the Stan Smith it gained the prime knit. Boost must have been in consideration but they decided not to use it. Prime knit is a much more comfortable upper and gives the shoe more of a casual look. There is also more creative potential for designs. With a knitted material the company can decide to put details on each thread if that’s what they desire.
Over the years, the Stan Smith model has created an effect on sneakers that will last for an eternity. Talented designers like Pharrell Williams are constantly making new designs for the shoe. Its a shoe that people reflect on because it motivated them to get to a certain point. The benefit of multiple variations is that people are allowed to enjoy the same thing while having different experiences. If you want to use a leather sneaker, it will allow you to wear it for more dressy occasions, especially if it’s all black. If you’re just a person who wants to go the gym there’s a model for you. The Prime knit models allows users to use the sneaker more practically for more athletic situations, which is what is was inspired from. As long as their are great models out there, Adidas will be inspired to create more.