Another homage to the mid-20th century, the Adidas 1969 Superstar Vintage trainers take us back to where this style began.
I think people tend to associate this style with a later era, probably nearer the mid-1970s. But the Adidas Superstar was first seen in 1969, looking a little different to the ‘classic’ design we think of today.
Adidas needed a basketball shoe in the 1960s, with the market dominated at the time by Converse and its canvas designs. Its answer was the Superstar, a more substantial piece of basketball footwear with its own distinctive look, and a trademark toe protector.
It was immediately picked up by both the greats of the game and kids on the street—more than 75 per cent of NBA players wore it by 1973.
Of course, the design has changed since, with a version two landing in 1976 and a look not dissimilar to the one you see around today. That later version became a favourite on both the skateboarding scene (for practical reasons) and the Hip-Hop scene (for more stylish reasons). But we aren’t talking about that today; we are looking at the OG—and a premium take on it.
The official name for this reissue is the Adidas Superstar Vintage Mig. Vintage is because of the design, which is based on that 1969 shoe, and Mig is because this premium version is a rare ‘made in Germany’ production.
In black and white, they have a luxury leather finish, vintage detailing and branding, holes alongside the stripes, and the original version of the hard toe protector. All of which has been put together in small numbers in its native Germany.
One for the collectors and obsessives, not least because of the price. If you want a pair of these, you are looking at £200.
