With environmental consciousness redefining the way we think about fashion, adidas has unveiled their latest stride to sustainability with a brand-new take on their cult shoe, the Stan Smith.
The rich history of the Stan Smith spans back to 1965. Developed by Horst Dassler, son of adidas founder Adolph “Adi” Dassler, as the first leather-alternative tennis shoe in a landscape dominated by canvas. As Sneaker Wars notes, when the shoe was first introduced “the small cast of emerging tennis professionals widely agreed that it was by far the best tennis shoe on the market.”
Originally endorsed by French tennis champion Robert Haillet, whose rise coincided with a surge of interest in the game following Wimbledon, 1968. Haillet represented the shoe until his retirement from the game in 1971.
Following his retirement, rising American star Stan Smith was tapped for the adidas contract. The sneaker was renamed in 1978, and Smith has been the face of the iconic silhouette since. In the decades since, the Stan Smith has had an unshakeable stronghold over the culture — redefining what an athletic shoe is capable of, on both an technical and cultural level.
adidas has now unveiled the latest iteration of its forever shoe, with sustainability and environmental consciousness at the forefront of their mind. The collection features a PRIMEGREEN upper, developed with 50% recycled material.
The brand with the three stripes are celebrating with a playful new collaboration with Disney. A drop that pays homage to the companies most beloved characters like Marvel’s the Hulk, Rex from Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story, Tinker Bell from Peter Pan, WALL-E from Disney and Pixar’s WALL-E, Kermit the Frog of The Muppets, and Mike Wazowski, from Disney and Pixar’s Monsters, Inc.
Each sneaker features the timeless Stan Smith sillhoutte, with unique colourways and details inspired by a different green member from the Disney family.
