UNDFTD x adidas Superstar Vintage

• MODEL: ADIDAS SUPERSTAR
• SERIES: ADIDAS SUPERSTAR 35TH ANNIVERSARY
• MADE IN: INDONESIA
• MADE ON: --/04
• LIMITED TO 600 PAIRS
• ART.NO: 133742

First introduced to the world in 1969 the adidas Superstar was released as a low-top option to the Pro Model. The rubber sole, all leather upper, and instantly recognizable “shell toe” were unique features of the shoe that would later become one of adidas’ most iconic silhouettes.

Through the 70s and 80s the Superstar became a favourite of basketball players (such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) but hip hop heads will remember the Superstar as they became the shoe of choice for a rap group from Queens named Run–DMC. Wearing them without laces and exposing the tongues the rap trio helped the Superstar become just that, a superstar of hip hop and sports footwear. The group showed the shoe so much love that in 1986 they even released a song titled “My adidas” and from there on out the adidas Superstar went down in history as a shoe not just for playing hoops but for anyone who wanted to stay looking fresh.

Let’s fast forward to 2005. After being a major influence in not just basketball culture but hip hop and street culture – becoming a part of just about every hall of fame and selling countless pairs later – adidas released the Superstar 35th Anniversary collection. However, releasing just one pair would be too easy for a brand like adidas. Instead the German manufacturer went ahead and released thirty five individual pairs of the Superstar, each as unique and special as the last.

This pair comes from the Consortium series of the collection. Each of the seven Consortium Supes were made using the classic Superstar Vintage silhouette, and six of them were given to some of the most exclusive sneaker boutiques in the world to design. Being a highly respected and well known spot for sneaker aficionados, Undefeated (UNDFTD), have been creating original pieces and adding their special touch to classic silhouettes for years. So it was no surprise adidas went to them for the collaboration.

These UNDFTD Superstars sport a slick, all black, leather upper, with the side stripes and heel featuring a black scale pattern. The off-white sole and shell toe are a throwback to the original Superstars from the 70s. UNDFTD’s famous “5 strike” logo on the heel and the Consortium ‘handshake’ logo embossed into the golden lace jewel complete one of the most memorable shoes of adidas’ 35th Anniversary Consortium series.

A shoe with an enormous history teamed with a sneaker boutique of great stature. The UNDFTD Superstar is a modern, celebratory pair with an old school flavor, and it’s not just a holy grail for adidas heads, but hip-hop and basketball fanatics as well. Though limited to only six hundred pairs worldwide, it’s a slim chance you’ll pick a deadstock pair up in your size if you haven’t already.

written by Sam Arojo

photography by errol

shoes contributed by Ross Macwaters