STORY / ID 4919
Adidas Superstar and "My Adidas": How Run-D.M.C. Sparked Hip-Hop's First Major Brand Endorsement
The Adidas Superstar, a low-top basketball shoe launched in 1969 as a low-top version of the Pro Model, became the first low-top basketball shoe with an all-leather upper and was later embraced by hip-hop and skateboarding culture, most notably through Run-D.M.C.'s 1986 song 'My Adidas.'
The Adidas Superstar debuted in 1969 as a low-top version of the Pro Model, and is recognized as the first low-top basketball shoe to feature an all-leather upper. Early wearers included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and George Gervin, and by 1973 the shoe was reportedly worn by over 75% of NBA players.
Around 1976, Adidas released updated versions called the Pro Model II and Superstar II; the “II” was later dropped, and the name Superstar became standard.
The shoe later found new popularity through hip-hop and skateboarding culture. Run-D.M.C. wore the Superstar and released the song “My Adidas” in 1986, which led to an endorsement deal with Adidas. This arrangement is cited as the first such endorsement deal between hip-hop artists and a major company.
In 2005, Adidas released a 35th Anniversary collection of the Superstar. In 2015, the brand introduced the Superstar ADV, a skateboarding-oriented version, and over 15 million pairs of the Superstar were sold that year.
In 2023, Adidas released the Superstar XLG. In February 2025, the shoe’s name was reverted to Superstar II.