The full story behind the iconis Adidas Superstar
Adidas Superstar and the fight with Converse
Long before Run-DMC filled arenas and concert venues in their famous Adidas tracksuits and leather Superstars, the iconic sneakers were designed for one specific purpose – to revolutionise the world of basketball.
The Adidas Superstar sneaker as we know it today, owes much of its popularity to the Adidas Supergrip. Adidas Supergrip was created in 1965, four years before the Adidas Superstar was launched. The Supergrip model reportedly represented Adidas’ first steps in their efforts to achieve success in the basketball world.
The previous Supergrip models did not focus on a reinforced and robust front, but a new group of innovative employees at Adidas, suddenly saw prospects in taking some of the improvements they had made to sports shoes like tennis shoes and football boots, and incorporating them in a basketball shoe. Implementing a reinforced and robust front on the shoe allowed the wearer to make much more efficient start-stop movements – a great advantage on the basketball court. Adidas Supergrip paved the way for the establishment of Adidas Superstar. Even though Adidas had now developed a shoe that could revolutionise the world of basketball, they still faced a serious challenge – the competition was fierce.
Broken ankles and damaged knees – an obvious business opportunity
When Adidas launched the Superstar model in 1969, the market for basketball shoes was dominated by the brand Converse. Their high-top model “Converse All Star”, was the preferred shoe among amateur and professional basketball players alike. Converse had conquered the sports world with a canvas shoe, which seems almost unthinkable today. The market for basketball shoes hungered for innovation because Converse had dominated the market for several years without any competition. Chris Severn, a former consultant for Adidas, noticed this and saw a business opportunity.