55 years after their creation, these unbeatable sneakers are now

eco-conscious
Vogue, 24th March 2021.

A look back at the saga of the star trainer, “Stan Smith”, named the best-selling trainers in 2010 by
the platform Stylight. Several decades after its inception, the legendary trainer is now composed of
up to 55% of recycled materials.

Before inspiring designers, dressing stars and walking down all the chicest streets in the world, the
"Stan Smith" was on the tennis courts. Take a look back at the history of this star model.

FOCUS ON SPORT

The idea

In 1964, the German sportswear company, Adidas, created the now famous Stan Smith with a French
tennis player who designed the model, Robert Haillet. These white leather sneakers, with three rows
of airy holes and the unmistakable green tongue, only took their current name in 1978 when the
brand, running after its "American dream", became the official sponsor of the star of the
court, Stanley Roger Smith. The front tongue has since been decorated with the portrait and
signature of the tennis player.

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The Stan Smith, a pop culture classic

Before appearing as part of the streetstyle trend in many fashion shows, the Stan Smith walked the
streets of many cities. Popular in urban culture from the 1970s to the 2000s, the sneakers met their
destiny: style. The cult hit Je danse le Mia by the Marseille-based collective IAM even quotes Stan
Smith, while Mathieu Kassovitz's punchy film La Haine brings the sneaker to Vincent Cassel's
character. Selling more than 70 million pairs worldwide, the tennis shoe entered the Guinness Book
of Records in 1990. However, the street popularity of the Stan Smith was only just getting started.

The it-sneaker

"The Stan Smith will become the first pair of sneakers to move from sport to the street and establish
itself as an essential casual model." Max Limol, Culture sneakers, 100 mythical sneakers, 2015. After
the surprise end to production of the model, which was all the rage in France, 2014 was shaping up
to be the year of the big comeback: the cult shoe was reborn from its ashes after the adidas brand's
official Twitter account announced the launch of a new edition. Campaign spots multiplied and
everyone waited for this mythical model: "A global fashion icon will be reborn in Spring/Summer ’14
as the legendary Stan Smith returns from its sabbatical. Removed from the shelves for the past few
seasons, the classic silhouette has been re-invigorated and updated for the modern day while still
staying true to the look and shape of the original.”

The Vogue Touch

While Adidas's management stopped production of the Stan Smith in 2011, Vogue Paris and its
editor-in-chief, Emmanuelle Alt, once again raised the desire for this mythical shoe. The fashion
series of the November 2013 issue made the Stan Smith into a star again with the Brazilian
model, Gisele Bündchen, posing in the simplest shoot with only a pair of these iconic sneakers as an
accessory. In parallel, her alter-ego was dressed in couture dresses, shot through the lens of Inez &
Vinoodh.

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The sneakers everyone wants

The Stan Smith was THE fashion piece of 2014, becoming a classic in the 2010s wardrobe, just like
blue jeans during the Nineties. All of the stars, models or street style icons accessorized their outfits
with the iconic sneakers. From Sienna Miller to Victoria Beckham, Caroline de Maigret and
rapper Kanye West, the it-sneaker was and still is on everyone's feet and takes over models' off-duty
looks.

The fashion collabs

Since the great comeback of the Stan Smiths back onto the market in 2014, singer and
designer Pharrell Williams has created several versions to walk in style. A prolific creator, he never
ceases to customize the iconic white leather: after the very first line with pop and fun designs, sold
exclusively at Colette in May 2014, Pharrell Williams created a pair with a Polka Dots Big theme
creating sneakers in total red, black or blue leather or in vintage brocade pattern; the Jacquard
Pack collection. Raf Simons also lent himself to the game by adding his signature - Raf's perforated R -
to the mythical Stan Smith. Most recently, it was designer Stella McCartney who gave her
interpretation of the sneaker, creating a pair in vegan leather mixed up with a rainbow look.

In 2021, the Stan Smith becomes eco-friendly

Aware of the increasingly urgent need to address climate change, adidas has revamped its classic
Stan Smith in a more eco-responsible version. In the iconic green and white colorway, the famous
sneaker has been given a Prime Green upper, made from a 100% recycled material and a recycled

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rubber sole. According to Franke Henke, adidas SVP Sustainability and Global operations, the brand
has set itself the goal of eliminating the use of polyester in our products by 2024. Even more
ambitious, the German label has also committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The new
Stan Smith, which is made of 50% recycled materials, will be available in selected retail outlets and
on the Adidas website from March 25.