There has been a lot of talk about SL72s dethroning Sambas, as this is one of the latest archive styles to receive design (and marketing) attention from team Adidas. This running shoe launched in 1972 for the Olympics and in 2024 has been sported by a number of It-girls – the brown iteration Bella Hadid wore in February sold out within two weeks of it launching on the US site. For those curious about the name, SL is an acronym for “super light”, in a nod to the weightless construction. Wales Bonner included this silhouette in her first collection for Adidas in 2020, which explored how British-Jamaicans wore sportswear in the ’70s and ’80s. Her reworked SL72s used a colour palette directly inspired by Bob Marley’s style archive, as he used to wear these sneakers in the ’70s.
Adidas Samba
The Samba was initially designed by the founder Adi Dassler to give footballers a grip for training on icy, frozen pitches and it was named the Samba to be aligned with the 1950 World Cup, which was hosted in Brazil. In the ’70s the runner became an emblem of football terrace culture and two decades later the Gallagher brothers made them part of the Britpop look. While they remain a popular football shoe, the Samba has found even more popularity off the pitch thanks to endorsement from every It-girl we can think of, including Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, Jennifer Lawrence, Rihanna and Kaia Gerber.
Despite all the chatter about Sambas fatigue, they remain a best-seller, as according to the Edited report the average sell out rate in Q1 2024 was +420 per cent versus Q1 in 2013. However there has been a huge increase in colourways and quantities of Sambas, which is thought to be slowing down the sell out rates – in 2024, 36 per cent of styles have a majority sell out compared to 53 per cent in March 2023.
Adidas Japan
Central to the popularised slimline sneaker movement, Adidas’s Japan trainers are an archive style first made for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, which have been given a contemporary update some six decades later. They feature a curved sole, instantly-recognisable three-stripe appliqué and contrast accents. The perforated uppers and double-stitched T-toe, a detail that echoes the Samba, are modern additions. As well as the classic Japan, the high-top Japan H boxing trainers have also become a cult style seen all over social media, while Grace Wales Bonner has reinterpreted the Japan in retro-inspired colourways during her ongoing collaboration with Adidas Originals.
Adidas Taekwondo
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The 1980s-hailing Taekwondo toes the line between a trainer and a flat: they’re realised in a supple, lightweight silhouette sans laces. As its name suggests, the Taekwondo was originally designed for use in martial arts – but today they’ve been adopted as a fashion trainer, with StockX dubbing them in “pole position to become the It-shoe of 2025”. (The platform reveals a 5,650 per cent increase in year-on-year trades.) Adidas has also released a “sneakerina” version – the Taekwondo Mei flats – which borrow details from a classic ballet flat; with the addition of playful laces and a sporty sole.
Adidas Tokyo
The Tokyos take their design cues from running trainers. First created in the 1970s, these Adidas trainers are a quiet hero in the sportswear giant’s arsenal, with a slimline silhouette, skinny soles and the three-stripe insignia. Like its counterparts, the Tokyo is available in a range of colourways and finishes, including metallic leather and bright suede.
Adidas Gazelle
