In a recent email to brand affiliates, adidas has announced a significant change to Anthony Edwards' debut signature sneaker, the AE 1. From now on, the model will be officially known as the Anthony Edwards 1.
The AE 1 has seen tremendous success, with initial colorways selling out quickly and the sneaker gaining traction beyond the hardwood. Sneakerheads and celebrities alike have been spotted wearing the AE 1 in various casual settings, one of a few basketball silhouettes in recent memory that successfully made this transition.
In their email, adidas clarified that "all consumer-facing communications" will now refer to the AE 1 as the Anthony Edwards 1. Sole Retriever reached out to adidas for comment. However, the brand has declined to comment further on the matter.
One possible explanation is a trademark issue. Currently, adidas does not hold registered trademarks for AE or AE 1, nor do USPTO records indicate any attempts at adidas to register said marks. However, Sole Retriever can confirm that two existing trademarks in the footwear category for "AE" currently exist on the USPTO. The first was filed in 1994 and registered in 2000 by Retail Royalty Company. Allen Edmonds LLC filed the second in November 2023 and has been accepted by the USPTO, pending examination before registration. While this is purely speculative, these existing trademarks could explain adidas' decision to rename one of its most successful recent products.
The timing of this change is intriguing, especially as adidas continues to roll out new colorways and iterations of the sneaker, including the introduction of the AE 1 Low. The rebranding to the Anthony Edwards 1 could streamline marketing efforts and avoid legal complications related to the existing "AE" trademarks. Though again, changing the name of one of your most popular products is baffling.
Regardless of the reason behind the change, the Anthony Edwards 1 is set to continue its momentum in the sneaker world. Multiple new colorways of the low-top and mid-cut versions of the model are on the way, including the Preloved Purple, Bred, USA, and Year of the Snake renditions. We’ll also have to see if consumers will adopt this change or if the AE 1 name will stick around even if adidas no longer officially calls it that. Download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases from adidas and Anthony Edwards and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. Concerts, music, trying new restaurants, and catching the latest movies are some of the things I enjoy when not writing for Sole Retriever. Email: nick@soleretriever.com
