adidas

adidas, also known as The Three Stripes Brand, is a German sportswear company founded in 1949 by Adolf “Adi” Dassler. With roots in track and football, it has become a global player within the sneaker industry over the past 70 years.

With influence spanning football, basketball, tennis, skateboarding, fencing, and other sports, the company’s first performance-related breakthrough occurred in 1936 within the running space. Jesse Owens famously wore Dassler’s revolutionary canvas and rubber spiked running shoe in the Summer Olympics held in Germany that year. And while Owens’ record-breaking performance at the global competition brought adidas attention, the brand hadn’t yet found its identity; the spikes didn’t feature the brand’s now-signature 3-Stripes logo. (adidas acquired this branding from Finland’s Karhu in 1952.)

The German company achieved similar attention in subsequent decades within both the basketball and tennis spaces thanks to the Superstar (1969) and Stan Smith (1973), respectively. Other made-for-sports models like the adidas Top Ten (1979) and adidas Forum (1984) similarly became lifestyle staples in New York, Boston, Chicago, and other cities. adidas’ Superstar became the unofficial shoe of hip-hop in the 1980s largely due to RUN DMC’s superstardom. (The shell-toe was the best-selling sneaker in North America in 2016.) While less popular stateside, running silhouettes like the SL 72 (1972) and ZX 500 (1984) boast devoted fans of trainers across Europe and Asia. These silhouettes have experienced resurgences throughout the decades, and are now offered under the adidas Originals banner.

Recent years have seen 3-Stripes-branded sneakers soar in popularity, in large part because of the Kanye West led Yeezy sub-label and UltraBOOST, as well as BOOST and adidas 4D cushioning. The German company has also pioneered high-fashion collaborations, hosting Yohji Yamamoto’s Y-3 imprint since 2003. In 2020, classic silhouettes were reimagined by Prada and Craig Green. Elsewhere, partnerships with Beyoncé’s IVY PARK, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, Jonah Hill, Pharrell and others ensured adidas remained the global behemoth it has been for decades.

Throughout 2024, the Three Stripes will surely continue its run as a proponent of the mix between sportswear and fashion. On this end, the brand signed FEAR OF GOD‘s Jerry Lorenzo to drive the creative and business strategy of its basketball category, culminating in the release of the Fear of God Athletics adidas Basketball 1, a shoe set for plenty of releases as the year draws on. It’s also been a banner year for adidas Basketball in terms of their signature athletes, with the German giant releasing Anthony Edwards’ AE1 & James Harden Vol. 8, while continuing a push for the Trae Young 3 and D.O.N. Issue #5.

Scroll below for the latest release dates and information on what adidas has in store for this year.

adidas

Lionel Messi Brings His Talents To The adidas Superstar

Inter Miami may not be on the league-leading pace they cruised to in 2024, but the squad remains in the thick of playoff contention largely...

By Matt Varga 5 hours
183

adidas Officially Announces The Dame X

Damian Lillard is entering a new chapter of his career in pretty much every way possible. Within hours of this writing, it was announced that...

By Andrew Rizzo 9 hours
2702

Samuel L. Jackson Stars In adidas Superstar Ad

One icon down, one to go. With the Three Stripes checking off a complete revival of the adidas Samba, reclaiming its dominant place in streetwear,...

By Matt Varga 12 hours
374

The adidas Superstar Is Still Breaking It Down

The adidas Superstar is more than a sneaker – it’s a time capsule. Gaining fame in the early 1970s as a basketball shoe, the Superstar...

By Sneaker News 13 hours
358

END Gets Its Hands On The adidas Y-3 A3 Control

Certain anniversaries have been a constant drumbeat through 2025, of course highlighted by the Jumpman’s overarching festivities, but also provided with select retailer celebrations. END....

By Matt Varga June 30, 2025
382

Metalwood Studio And adidas Step Into Golf And Soccer For SS26

Only in its fifth year of operation, Los Angeles-based golf brand Metalwood Studio is seriously picking up steam. After ticking off their first collaboration with...

By Matt Varga June 30, 2025
1074

Willy Chavarria Debuts The adidas Megaride AG For SS26

Off the starpower of their collaborative partners, it’s been all eyes on adidas at Paris Fashion Week. Following new detailed looks at Pharrell’s adidas Jellyfish...

By Andrew Rizzo June 30, 2025
1188

Bad Bunny Looks To Cabo Rojo For His adidas Gazelle Indoor “Wonder Clay”

It’s already been a banner year for Bad Bunny, producing one of his best-selling and most critically acclaimed records with Debí Tirar Más Fotos, an LP...

By Matt Varga June 30, 2025
2117

The adidas Dame X Embraces Chilly “Flash Aqua”

As the brand stares down two major debuts in the coming month, adidas Basketball’s roster is truly rounding into form. Of course the futuristic design...

By Matt Varga June 29, 2025
392