adidas Tennis Vintage

• MODEL: ADIDAS TENNIS
• MADE IN: CHINA
• MADE ON: --/05
• ART.NO: 463610

It’s hard to say when the adidas Tennis model first dropped without referring back to old catalog images and ancient magazine ads, but it was certainly sometime in the 1960s. Years later, this simple silhouette gave birth to collaborations between the famous three stripes and many tennis legends, such as Ivan Lendl and Stephan Edberg. 1971 gifted the world with Rod Laver’s own shoe, and the next year Stan Smith’s endorsed tennis trainer released for the first time.

With all these great athletes boasting the adidas Originals name on their series and silhouettes it may be easy for some to overlook the OG Tennis model. However, dig a bit deeper and take a closer look at the main design features of these shoes. A simple, clean upper, pierced on the side walls with a triangular stitching pattern nearby the model name. A low cut ankle collar with a trim heel patch, free of branding, and blended to the welt with a slim strip. And finally, a textured, cream, herring bone outsole, stitched to the upper to for a durable structure. These iconic features come together to make an unforgettable silhouette.

Now step back from the netted racket game for a moment and ask yourself: what does this shoe look like? The adidas Superstar, that’s what. Believe it or not, these trusty tennis trainers later acted as inspiration for one of the most well-known basketball shoes of all time. Everything about them is nearly identical, apart from the side stripes – which, instead, are illustrated in the Tennis model with minimal perforations – and the inclusion of the revolutionary and incredibly unique shell toe.

1969 introduced the Superstar to the world and shortly after adidas’ Tennis heyday swept the sports industry, leaving behind a massive archive of innovative designs built from a rich quality of materials. These adidas Tennis Vintage trainers pay homage to that OG model and should appeal to the sensibilities of anyone in this sneaker game for the love of classic, iconic, and timeless pairs.

written by Dylan Cromwell

photography by errol