There are a few sneaker greats to have ever embraced this world and made a significant impact on the culture, and the adidas Superstar, whose iconic shell toe and simple yet striking design definitely has a place with the all-time greats, after having dipped its toes in several subcultures by way of Kareem Abdul Jabar who fervently endorsed the Superstars, RUN DMC who wrote a song about their adidas shoes as a euphemism that people judge a book by its cover, and pro skaters who began their careers with the silhouette. We take a look at some of the best packs and collaborations to have ever dropped, with some of them being some of the top all time grails for any collector in the game.
CLOT X Star Wars X adidas Superstar “Darksidestar”
While there were a few Star Wars collaborations that showcased the breadth of the main characters and legions in the Star Wars universe, it is arguably Edison Chen’s version that was best executed amongst the others. Featuring a black and red Superstar, the silhouette’s red accents glow in the dark. The 2010 April release was only exclusively available at JUICE locations, and was accompanied by teo ‘Empire Athletic’ t-shirts that Edison Chen says, “all SITH lords wore this before becoming what they were.”
Undefeated X BAPE X adidas Superstar
There were actually two releases that were done under this legendary threeway banner, with the first one imbuing BAPE’s signature camo in black or blue around the sockliner and included a gold leaf BAPE logo and Undefeated on the lateral portions of the heel, but the second release that followed covered the same camo, just all over the shoe which made for a more striking silhouette that really stood out from the rest.
The threeway collaboration’s first effort.
BAPE X adidas Superstar “Super Ape Star”
But for some, one of the ultimate Superstar grails was actually one of BAPE’s earlier collabs with adidas, christened the Super Ape Star, of which the camo-ed version showcases both of the brands’ DNA in the best light. Even though this was a 2003 release, it’s still highly sought after, fetching around USD 1000 on GOAT.
adidas Superstar 35th Anniversary Pack
For the silhouette’s 35th anniversary bash, adidas pulled out all the stops and released 35 editions of the beloved model, split into 5 categories, Consortium, Expression, Music, Cities, and Anniversaries. These were extremely collectible and were a must-have for any Superstar collector, and the pack was only completed with a top secret model that was only limited to 700 pairs worldwide, making it almost impossible to complete the collection.
RUN DMC X adidas Superstar “My adidas” 25th Anniversary
Of course, any Superstar list wouldn’t be complete without the rap group that propelled the Superstar to literal stardom, RUN DMC. The 25th anniversary edition featured ‘1986’ embroidered in the back while the tongue says ‘My adidas,’ completed with gold rope dubraes. Jam Master Jay’s initials were also embroidered on the heel tab. These were released in limited pairs and remains highly sought after even till today.
adidas Superstar X Pharell Williams “Supercolour”
The release of 2015’s Supercolour pack by Pharrell Williams possibly marked the rapper’s theme around equality. The message that was pushed out also resonated with this agenda, with Pharrell saying “Supercolour is a celebration of equality through diversity. With 50 colours of the Superstar, everybody will be able to select his or her colour. It is more diverse than any pack ever before and therefore, it is more individual than any pack before.”
adidas Skateboarding “Respect Your Roots”
These were made and dedicated to four skateboarding pioneers who immersed the Superstar into skateboarding culture, particularly Kareem Campbell, Joey Bast, Drake Jones, and Richard Angelides. All of the skaters were honored with their own pair, with their names engraved on the lateral side.
adidas Consortium Superstar “Made In France”
Before the Prada collaboration, there was “Made In France,” whereby the Three Stripes paid homage to the traditional OG design by manufacturing these in Ateliers Heschung in France, where they used to manufacture adidas shoes in the 1970s. No special mark was embellished to commemorate the release, rather, the only way to tell the difference is by the quality of the leather.
adidas Consortium Superstar X NEIGHBORHOOD
The collaboration initially was done in tandem with NEIGHBORHOOD and Union LA, but Neighborhood’s efforts were ultimately the better looking one, which features a black snakeskin upper, complete with a skull and cross swords printed on the medial side of the shoe. NEIGHBORHOOD owner Shinsuke Takizawa even got his own 1 of 1 adidas Superstars, which featured his face on the gold imprint on the tongue.
adidas Originals Superstar 80s by Mark Gonzales
Legendary skater Mark Gonzales has been with the Trefoil for a very long time, and one of their team ups have resulted in this unique Superstar 80s that gave a chance to the owner to decorte the upper however they see fit.
