Relaunched last year, the Adidas Stan Smith has become a fashion classic, worn by designers Marc Jacobs and Phoebe Philo, and – this is only a slight exaggeration – about half the front row. Now the sportswear giant has seen the opportunity to reinvent another of its 90s favourites – the Superstar. The chunkier design, with shell toe and three stripes on the side and sometimes called ‘shelltoes’, is the subject of a campaign starring David Beckham, Rita Ora and Pharrell Williams, with the slogan “reclaim Superstar” an attempt to up the street kudos of the shoe.
Superstars do have heritage – tworn by Run DMC, they were the subject of their track My Adidas in 1986. Other fans include Neneh Cherry and Kate Moss, and the reboot has worked so far. Grazia has already featured the Superstar as the trainer of the season, Ora has been fulfilling her contract by wearing them around town, while other tastemakers such as Snoop and Jeremy Scott have been doing the same. With the next round of fashion shows only a week away, the front-row test is looming. If the Superstar is taken up there, Adidas might have another trainer triumph in their sights. Here is a guide to who’s who in the Superstar gang so far.
