Celebrating a half-century in business, sneaker supply chain Foot Locker is teaming up with sportswear giant adidas to present a two-shoe collection featuring the Superstar and Samba OG. Founded on September 12, 1974, by the Kinney Shoe Corporation, the first store was located in City Of Industry, California, within the Puente Hills Mall. Foot Locker enjoyed enormous growth within 20 years, accounting for 70% of sales for Kinney Shoe Corp, with the entire subsidiary being renamed Foot Locker in 2001 after all Kinney stores were closed a few years prior. An ever-present for multiple generations of sneakerheads, the stores are now located globally, from Los Angeles to London to Tokyo and everywhere in between, including Fairbanks, Alaska. Employing thousands of people, many of which wear the iconic referee-style uniforms of black and white stripes that are recognized the world over.
With those famous uniforms in mind, we see the design inspiration for this collection. The Foot Locker x adidas Superstar has a premium core black suede upper contrasted by off-white leather Stripes on the sides and the back heel tab, with the prominent shell-toe covering made from rubber. More off-white leather covers the lining. Gold Trefoil branding appears on the back heel and tongue, with the Superstar moniker running parallel to the Stripes on the sides. An off-white rubber sole completes the shoe.
The Foot Locker x adidas Samba OG mimics the Superstar, sporting an upper entirely of premium core black suede. Off-White leather comes into play via the Stripes on the sides and back heel tab. Again, simple gold Trefoil branding appears on the tongue, and the Samba branding on the sides. Sat upon a gum-colored rubber sole unit, the aesthetic of both pairs is clear, with a custom printed 50 graphic on the insoles, a subtle celebration for such a monumental anniversary.
The Foot Locker x adidas 50th Anniversary Collection is set to release in September 2024 starting with the Superstar on the 3rd, through adidas and Foot Locker Inc. in-store and online. Coming in men's sizing, retail is TBD for the Samba OG and $110 for the Superstar. Download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Images via adidas
Foot Locker x adidas Samba OG 50th Anniversary
Foot Locker x adidas Superstar 50th Anniversary
In this article
Craig Bell happily talks about sneakers or as he calls them "trainers" every day of the year. An avid Bradford City fan, he's also a big supporter of the Philadelphia Eagles. He will forever profess that Cricket is better than Baseball and that Rugby League is better then Rugby Union. Among his many hot takes, he believes the adidas ZX range is the pinnacle of sneaker design.
