adidas Superstar CLR

• MODEL: ADIDAS SUPERSTAR
• MADE IN: INDONESIA
• MADE ON: --/02
• ART.NO: 147030

The adidas Superstar CLR is by far the wildest facelift the model has seen while still staying within the exceptable boundaries and expectations set by die hard shell toe fanatics. Since its creation in 1969 the Superstar has taken over the world, coming to mean a variety of powerful things to a mass majority of people who find sneakers close to their hearts. It is however a very slippery slope for designers to trot down when attempting to modify the OG model and caution should be heeded for each step of the way.

Let’s count through the modifications in this “dawn” and “blue stone” variation of everyone’s favorite low cut basketball shoe from the three stripes. We got a canvas upper, while not so adventurous this surely isn’t a typical move for the Superstar silhouette. Continuing along it’s worth a mention that the upper is covered in an overlapping pattern of adidas branding in various sizes and directions as though it were a wall, victim to the wheatpasting of street artists throughout the year. The whopper comes through in the shell toe and outsole, both which have been replaced with a translucent gum rubber that shows the continued trefoil branding patterning underneath. And hence the name CLR (presumably an abbrievation for the word ‘clear’).

Whether the adidas Superstar CLR can be classified as its own model should be left open to each individual’s interpretation, however, it’s important to note that various colorways were dropped in 2002 (such as the brown or red or rose versions) alongside these blues. Later on an adidas Superstar CLR 2 was dropped showing off a different upper patterning, but by ’08 the original style of the CLR came back to life in more hues and a few offshoot designs (like the white perfed version).

I personally find the patterning horrific despite the lovely colorway, and I don’t think that the creative translucence of the shell and sole make up for it entirely. Despite my gripes I’m proud of adidas for pushing the envelope and risking the farm on these wild upgrades of the well-known silhouette, and from what I hear though, only praise has resonated from the hardcore Supe community out there.

written by Dylan Cromwell

photography by errol