After a debut NYC-based fashion show to kick off 365 days of thirty-year-anniversary celebrations, BAPE® is linking up with its long-time trusted collaborator, adidas, to revamp the classic Stan Smith sneaker.
Ever since its first Super Ape Star collaboration in 2003, the German sportswear giant and the NIGO-founded brand have worked on numerous pairs together. Highlights include the Superstars 80s “B Sides” in 2011, the Originals NMD R1 in 2016, and the Skateboarding 3ST.002 in 2018.
It isn’t just thirty years of the Japanese streetwear brand that is worth cheersing to, it’s also the twenty year anniversary of BAPE® x adidas sneaker takeovers. For a momentous occasion as such, the subject of the collaboration had to match the sky-high stakes, which is why the iconic Stan Smith comes as a no-brainer.
The Stan Smith’s origins date back to the 1960s, when it debuted as a tennis shoe for the French player Robert Haillet, then known as the “Haillet.” It was in 1972 that the American Wimbledon and US Open champion Stan Smith joined adidas, following Haillet’s retirement. A year later the “Stan Smith – Haillet” would hit the market, before the “Haillet” name was dropped in 1978.
From Kermit the Frog to Disney, the Stan Smith has been the subject of highly publicised collabs over the years. Now, it’s time for BAPE® to sink its claws into the archival tennis shoe.
The Stan Smith has been reimagined in two colourways – black or white – with a synthetic leather made out of recycled materials. The co-branding comes in more obvious ways, such as the tongue featuring a gold-stamped version of both brands’ logos, as well as subtly and smartly positioned details, such as the signature BAPE® SOLID CAMO print embossed into the upper.
The camo print is seen in colour on the sneaker’s heel tab, while the Stan Smith golden moniker can be found on the shoe’s lateral side. Obviously, the thirty year anniversary had to be highlighted, here through golden lace jewels.
The BAPE® x adidas thirty year anniversary Stan Smith is not only the embodiment of both brands’ allegiance to each other, but also proof of the overarching movement that has merged – and continues to merge – the world of streetwear and sports, propelling it into the eye of culture.
The limited edition, collaborative Stan Smith will drop on November 18 on the CONFIRMED app, on BAPE®’s website, and in select retailers.
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