adidas Superstar 1 “Project Playground”

  • MODEL: ADIDAS SUPERSTAR 1
  • SERIES: ADIDAS SUPERSTAR 35TH ANNIVERSARY 35TH ANNIVERSARY EXPRESSION SERIES
  • DESIGNED BY: Project Playground
  • MADE IN: INDONESIA
  • MADE ON: --/04
  • LIMITED TO 4000 PAIRS
  • ART.NO: 133634

The Project Playground is a Superstar 1 design released in 2005 as part of the adidas Superstar 35th Anniversary Collection. It is one of seven shoes in the Expression Series of that collection with only 4,000 pairs being released worldwide. The shoe was a collaboration between adidas Originals and the New York based Project Playground Clothing Company (PPC). PPC’s styles sought to blend urban elements of music and fashion together with its love for street basketball. Project Playground’s affinity for the game even gave birth to a traveling performance basketball team that was akin to the Harlem Globetrotters, albeit with a younger, more “streetball” attitude.

The shoe itself has a very appealing light blue (“echo”) suede upper with contrasting mustard colored eyestays. Probably its most distinguishing features would be the lack of the traditional superstar heel cap and side stripes, the outlines of which are still highlighted by a series of perforations in the suede. The mustard color of the eyestays is repeated with stitching on the heel and upper and also on the insole of the shoe. Both the outsole and the stitching are a dark blue color. Sharing this “marine” color is the Project Playground logo on the outer heel section of the upper and the insole. The logo includes the puzzling number of six basketball players in silhouette (puzzling, of course, because only 5 players play at a time). The shoe shipped with two sets of laces in both the echo and mustard colors.

It would be remiss if it weren’t pointed out that a very light colored suede or nubuck shoe like this strikes fear into the hearts of many sneaker collectors because of the likelihood of marking or denim bleed from daily wear. The adidas Superstar 1 “Project Playground” compounds this fear with its lack of a leather heel cap. While that fear is not entirely without merit, trainer connoisseurs shouldn’t let that be a factor if they ever come across a legit pair of Project Playgrounds in their size. Just wear some khakis and step around the puddles because this one’s a stunner.

written by Michael Sterling

photography by errol