The Adidas Superstar is a popular basketball shoe that has been manufactured and sold since 1969. It was first produced as an updated version of the 1950′s Pro Model basketball shoes.

The Superstar was the first low-top basketball shoes with all-leather uppers. It was also the first basketball shoe with the rubber shelltoe, a feature that earned the Adidas Superstar its many nicknames, including the “shelltoe,” “shell tops,” and “shell shoes.” This rubber shell piece offered unmatched toe protection, which is one of many reasons for why the shoe was such a huge influence on sneakers. The huge influence of the Superstar can still be observed today, now that the basketball shoes are common both on the basketball court and for casual, everyday use by all kinds of people.

The Adidas Superstar experienced a second surge in the early 1980′s, when the rap group Run-D.M.C. began wearing Adidas Superstars during their performances. They wanted their stage appearance to mirror their everyday street appearance. Not only did the rap group wear the Adidas Superstars, they wore them without laces and with the shoe’s tongue pushed out. The effect was supposed to mirror prison fashion. As the group continued wearing the Superstars on tour, Superstars began to grow more and more popular. Adidas Superstar sales skyrocketed after the trio relaesed the song “My Adidas” as a response to the Jerrald Deas rap “Felon Sneakers.” Adidas quickly figured out how much free promotion the rap group was creating, and soon signed a deal with Run-D.M.C. This was the very first advertisement endorsement made between a rap group and a major company.

Even after Run-D.M.C faded from popularity, the Adidas Superstar continued to be one of the most sought-after brands of athletic shoes. B-boys and other street dancers took hold of the trend and began wearing the sneakers with “fat laces,” or very thick shoelaces with colors matching that of the stripes on the side of the sneakers.

More recently, the 35th anniversary of the Adidas Superstar was celebrated in 2005. Adidas collaborated with music and fashion icons to create a special Anniversary collection of shoes. One of the most popular designs of the commemorative collection was the 15th brand, with the Run-D.M.C. logo near the back of the shoe, and aptly named the “Adidas Run-D.M.C.”

Adidas is in the process of designing another commerorative collection for the 40th anniversary in 2010. No matter which icons are chosen for this collection, it is clear that the Adidas Superstar will continue to hold high influence and popularity for years to come.