Poor Stan Smith. While he was a great tennis player in the 1970s, he certainly was not as renowned or in the class of the other greats of that era, such as jimmy Connor and Bjorn Borg. Then, by virtue of his winning the 1971 U.S. Open and 1972 Wimbledon championships, Adidas decided to rename a sneaker originally called the Haillet as the Adidas Stan Smith. It became an instant sensation and remained so for a number of years. After all, who could resist the sneaker with white leather, green trim around the heel and Smith’s portrait and autograph on the tongue. Stan Smith was now as famous as the other tennis greats. They did not have a sneaker sensation.
Then, as these things often happen in life, sales fell off and the Adidas Stan Smith and Stan Smith himself recede into relative obscurity. Poor Stan Smith. Again, however, as these things often happen in life, Stan Smith again rose from the depths of obscurity. In 2014, Adidas decided to reissue the Stan Smith sneaker as an Adidas Classic. The impeccable and simplistic style, even without the iconic three stripes combined to make 2014 the year of the Stan Smith sneaker. It took off and was seen in the front rows of fashion shows around the world. Stan Smith was once again famous. While the Stan Smith shoe continued to sell into 2015, sales did fall off and Adidas sensed a lessening of interest in the fashion world. Therefore, Adidas decided to reintroduce another Adidas Classic, the Superstar, sometimes referred to as the Shell Toe. It became an immediate favorite of the public and the fashion industry. Monochrome color, embossed logo, rubber shell-toe and, of course, the iconic three-stripes. Irresistible!
Poor Stan Smith. Now, once again, as these things often happen in life, he faces a possible return to obscurity. Will the adidas Superstar overwhelm the Stan Smith sneaker and render it a relic of the past or will the Stan smith sneaker survive, thrive and continue to co-exist with its competitor, the vaunted Superstar? It is a weighty question indeed Only time will tell. Poor Stan Smith is, however, not the only one in a quandary facing an uncertain future. What about us, the poor consumers? How do we decide the Stan Smith sneaker versus the Superstar question? This is, after all, not a simple boxers or briefs question. You cannot see whether one is wearing boxers or briefs. This is a fashion question of the utmost significance. If, heaven forbid, we choose incorrectly, will we be shunned by our family and friends? Will we even be allowed back in school? Good luck to all of us. We’ll need it. While we ponder our decisions, let us hope and pray that Adidas does not reissue another Classic Sneaker. There is only so much stress that one can handle.
