Adidas Apocalypse

From Germany to the United States to even our very own ECFS campus, Adidas has made a splash. Sambas, Gazelles, Spaziels, Campuses, Wales Bonners and more have been spotted on everyone: your favorite athlete, actor and perhaps even your very own classmates. Over the last few years, the unassuming three-striped design has become a worldwide phenomenon: a phenomenon rightfully dubbed the Adidas Apocalypse. 

While Adidas shoes have recently experienced a surge in popularity, the brand has been around since 1949. This was when Adi Dassler, the founder of Adidas, opened a factory in a small town in Bavaria, Germany with the sole purpose of “provid(ing) athletes with the best possible equipment.” The first design of the Samba was created in 1950, “as a football boot for icy and snowy pitches.”  Later, in 1972, the current Samba model was created. This marked the start of a bright, trendy future.

First Samba Design (Source: Urban Pitch)

It was not until the mid-1980s when Adidas began to be recognized not just for their expertise in sports gear, but also for their fashionable and cool look. Their appearance in “films such as Blade Runner, Police Academy, Beverly Hills Cop and even Rocky” initially intertwined Adidas with pop culture. This attracted a society looking for a hip shoe to spice up everyday outfits. Adidas continued to advance throughout the ‘90s and early ‘2000s, but it was not until the ‘2020s  that the Samba blew up.

The sudden popularity of the shoe can be attributed to a combination of factors. One of which is Adidas’s newest creative director: Alasdhair Willis. Regarding his appointment in March of 2022, Willis stated, “I welcome the opportunity to help establish a new era of design and brand leadership at (A)didas and, together with the team, take (A)didas to even higher levels.” It is safe to say that Willis’s creative direction has taken Adidas to higher levels!

Another reason for the brand’s increase in sales is the collaborations it has done in recent years. Most significantly, in 2020, Adidas partnered with the British designer, Grace Wales Bonner. The OG Wales Bonner x Adidas Sambas consist of “crocheted detailing. Bonner’s take resonated with the fashion community, and they subsequently sold out, eventually landing on resale platforms like GOAT with four-figure markups.” Collaborations like this keep Adidas’s buyers engaged and excited to see what new and unique editions will supplement the quintessential version of the shoes. 

OG Wales Bonner x Adidas (Source: GQ)

Today, social media is more widely used than ever before. TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest are used to connect one Adidas lover to the next, especially Gen-Z and Millenials. If you were wondering what attracts these people to the brand, let Fieldston students explain. When asked why she was interested in purchasing Adidas, Gabriella Ayestas (Form III) remarked, “they’re cute. They’re very trendy. They’re all over TikTok, they fit with a lot of outfits and I feel like they’re a staple.” While wondering why Adidas are so desirable, Arden Sehgal (Form IV) reasoned  it is because “they have a logo that everyone can refer back to. Similar to Nike, with the swoosh, the three-stripes in Adidas symbolize simplicity and recognition. They are comfortable, and each and every buyer can find their very own optimal color.” 

Sehgal’s words reflect the array of different colors and styles of Adidas one might see if walking through the quad. While there are many different designs of Adidas, each one comes together to represent the brand as a whole.  A certain “it factor” that has eased its way across generations is Adidas. Whether they continue to appear regularly, or vanish and come back in another decade, simply recognizing the amount of people who wear Adidas at Fieldston epitomizes what can happen when power meets influence. 

Spotted: Adidas at Fieldston (Source: Paloma Sommer)