We take a look back at the three most historic adidas Originals silhouettes

The recent campaign ‘We Gave the World an Original. You Gave Us a Thousand Back’ campaign pays tribute to adidas Originals’ most iconic trainer models: Samba, Gazelle and Superstar. Today, we take a look at the history of each.

The adidas Originals shamrock has lived a thousand lives and conquered every corner of the globe in its more than 50 years of life. From elite athletes to top artists, the most important international figures have defended the brand’s codes. Now, in 2023, we are preparing for a new era that pays tribute to all those who have brought the iconic shamrock to the forefront of culture.

adidas Samba

Created by Adi Dassler and launched in 1949, the Samba was adidas‘ first football boot and is the second best-selling model in the brand’s history. They were originally designed to offer football players the best traction on icy ground thanks to their rubber sole, and their name comes from the shoe’s expansion to Brazil for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, paying homage to the country’s culture.

Despite being a silhouette with a sporty aesthetic, it quickly evolved to conquer other styles and move away from the football pitch. In the 90s, the skate culture embraced this model very well, with skaters adopting it as an icon for its durability and resistance. Nowadays it is already a reference in the fashion world thanks to collaborations with prominent designers such as Wales Bonner or Pharrell Williams, who have reinvented the Samba in an infinite number of colours and styles.

adidas Gazelle

adidas‘ most refined iteration was unveiled in 1965 and quickly established itself as a benchmark thanks to its minimalism and elevated design with a T-shaped toe cap. The Gazelle was the brand’s first sneaker made of suede – until then they had all been made of leather – which meant an evolution in terms of lightness and flexibility. At first, only two models were designed: the Gazelle Blau (blue with white stripes and a wavy microcellular sole to reduce impact) and the Gazelle Rot (red with white stripes and a transparent non-slip sole that adapts to any terrain).

It wasn’t until 1985 that a new colourway was introduced in Europe: the Gazelle Grun (green) made in Austria, of which only a few collector’s copies remain today. It was in the 1990s that they began to be marketed in multiple shades and quickly became a cultural icon. Every cool kid of the 90s wore the Gazelle on their feet just like their idols: Liam and Noel Gallagher from Oasis, Mark Renton in Trainspotting or Kate Moss herself. Nowadays, the big fashion houses have introduced them into the luxury sector. This is the case of Gucci, which launched a series of exclusive collaborative models in 2022.

adidas Superstar

Introduced in 1969 as the first low top basketball shoe, they feature an all-leather upper and a durable rubber outsole that stands up to any surface. Up to this point, professional players wore high-tops like Converse, and by 1975, most NBA players were wearing adidas Superstars on their feet.

They soon ceased to take centre stage on the basketball court and became a symbol of hip-hop thanks to iconic groups such as Run-D.M.C., whose members appropriated the silhouette to turn it into a sign of identity. They also ventured into the world of skateboarding, as did the Samba, redefining itself as a timeless icon. In 2015 it was the most popular shoe of the year with more than 15 million pairs sold worldwide and today it continues to elevate the best looks with an infinite number of versions, colours and styles.