The adidas Superstar has been a sneaker icon since its original release in 1970. This year, the Three Stripes is celebrating 50 years of the legendary silhouette and we decided to join the party by taking a closer look at one of the greatest shoes of all time.

The Superstar has been a mainstay in adidas’ brand image since it’s debut in 1970. In terms of a shoe’s shelf life, that is simply incredible. Very rarely do styles created half a century ago remain popular over the course of five decades, let alone one or two. The history of the Superstar is relatively straightforward as well. Originally built for the basketball court, the silhouette’s signature rubber toe cap and leather construction helped thrust the Superstar into the stardom in everyday life.

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Over time, the adidas Superstar quickly became more than just a performance basketball sneaker. By the ’80s, the silhouette was often seen completed unlaced on the feet of rap group RUN DMC. With the combination of their star power and the hit song “My adidas”, the Superstar became a classic. The legendary silhouette has remained a staple of adidas’ releases ever since, as well as being used as a canvas for collaborations with hundreds of artists, musicians, and creators from around the world.

adidas has big plans for the Superstar’s 50th anniversary. Kicked off in January, the celebration has so far included the debut of the Superstan, a hybrid Stan Smith & Superstar, the Superstar Laceless, featuring an elastic tongue to mimic RUN DMC’s signature style, and a series of new Superstar colorways inspired by a number of other adidas hits. However, knowing the Three Stripes, there are plenty more coming throughout 2020.

To go along with new product launches, adidas introduced a new “Change is a Team Sport” campaign earlier this year, which featured a mini film directed by Jonah Hill.

THERE’S NO KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT THE OLDER GENERATION WHO DID IT FIRST. AND THERE’S NO CHANGE OR PROGRESSION WITHOUT THE NEW GENERATION. SO IF THOSE TWO GENERATIONS COME TOGETHER, I FEEL LIKE THAT CREATES THE ATOMIC CHARGE FOR GREAT ART AND GREAT CREATIVITY.

Starring a bunch of adidas creators and influencers, such as Ninja, Pharrell Williams, Nigo, and Tracy McGrady, the films message sheds light on the Superstar and its evolution throughout history. You can check the campaigns roster below and the full video is posted at the bottom of the article.

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Earlier this month, adidas gave us the chance to get a better feel of the various 2020 iterations of the 50-year-old shoe. We tested out both the classic version of the shoe in a Rivalry-inspired blue & white colorway, as well as the new Superstar Laceless, in two original black & white color schemes. The Laceless iteration is a nice twist on the original, adding elastic bands to the tongue to keep it in place during wear. These pairs also included two sets of laces in the box, which can be threaded through and worn casually without tying them. To get your hands on your own pair of Superstars for 2020, head over to adidas for men’s and women’s size ranges, and stay tuned to JustFreshKicks for more adidas news.

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