Dissecting It: The Stan Smith
By Jessica Rohr | June 25, 2014
Tennis is on our minds now that Wimbledon's officially underway, and with this year's rebirth of the adidas original Stan Smith, we take a deeper look into the classic kicks.
What it is: Originally introduced and developed for French tennis player Robert Haillet in the mid-‘60s as the first leather tennis shoe, the official release of the adidas Stan Smith was in 1973, named after the number one American tennis player at the time, Stanley Smith.
Fast forward to the ‘90s when all the cool kids wore adidas. By 1998, the shoe landed a spot in The Guinness Book of World Records for selling over 22 million pairs.
Stan Smiths were spotted again in fashion a few seasons ago when Céline creative director Phoebe Philo, the master of minimalism, took a bow at curtain call wearing the slick sneakers. They have since become a fashion obsession, being one of the most popular accessories seeen on the streets during Fall 2014 Fashion Month.
After a three-year hiatus, adidas made the great decision to relaunch the Stan Smith with a fashion-oriented campaign on January 15, 2014. The shoes have become adidas’ best selling style of all time, selling more than 40 million pairs to date.
Why we love it: Anything Phoebe Philo endorses, we follow her lead, and for only $75 you can slip a pair of these Stan Smiths on your feet for an instant casual cool look. Aside from the fact that they have the nostalgia factor nailed (who doesn’t love a good throwback staple), major faces in fashion pair them with high street and high fashion alike. It’s no surprise that the classic sneaker fits with some of the biggest and most talked about trends of the year, sporty chic and “normcore.” Who said fashion can’t be comfortable?
Click though our slideshow to see the evolution of the Stan Smith, from the man himself to how style setters are currently wearing them.
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