Having been in business since the 1920’s, you would think that Adidas would know a thing or two about shoes. Started by Adolf ‘Ádi’ Dassler, and later joined by his brother Rudolf, in their mothers kitchen they have been creating some of the most iconic sneakers for the best part of one hundred years and everyone always remembers their very first pair of Adidas. Here are some of the classics they have produced over the years in no particular order as you can be sure everyones opinions will vary.
First up is the white with green stripes Adidas LA created to honour the Olympics when they took place in Los Angeles in 1984. Classic Adidas old school style used a new cushioning system in the sole combining removable pegs for more or less cushioning. Next would have to be the Adidas Gazelle which was especially popular amongst football fans and was a sturdy hard wearing shoe which you could own for over a year if you took good care of them. Coming in a dark blue colour they were essentially a running shoe.
Another pair designed especially to commemorate the Munich Olympics of 1972 are the Adidas SL72 which were essentially a track shoe designed to provide maximum friction between the sole of the shoe and the running track. Next we need to go all the way back to the 1960’for the classic Adidas Italia. The original shoe was produced in brown with gold letters but because it is such a popular shoe has been remade many times in lots of different colours.
Probably the first pair of tennis shoes specifically made for the court and most peoples first recollection of an Adidas sneaker would have to be the legendary Stan Smith tennis shoe in white with green stripes. Named after the champion himself, these have remained a firm favourite with fans of Adidas shoes for many years. The most iconic however must be the Adidas Superstar basketball shoe made even more iconic by the hip hop group RUN DMC with song ‘My Adidas’
These are just a few of the classic shoe collections produced by Adidas over the years and although everybody has their particular choice you can be sure the debate will rage on for a while yet as to which shoe is truly the most iconic. I always get my trainers from Scotts menswear because the prices are fantastic and the number of options always is more than I could dream of!
