Stan Smith on How His Shoe Has Become a Fashion Sneaker
The icon shares his thoughts at Tokyo’s Kosaten pop-up.
Taking place in Tokyo from April 29 to May 8 is Kosaten, a week-long event celebrating adidas’s forward-thinking approach to design, which is much indebted to the brand’s rich heritage. Led by the creative vision of Andy Chiu — who also oversees our The Sneaker Lab series — the event brings together pioneers and ambassadors from Originals’ lineup in a slew of talks and workshops. Here, tennis legend Stan Smith speaks on his connection with Japan and how Tokyo were the grounds where the American player won his first championship in 1970. Furthermore, Smith highlights how the sneaker has propelled from the tennis arena to become one of the most reworked models in the sneaker realm, with the likes of Raf Simons and Pharrell all putting their own flair to the stripped-back silhouette. Check out the snippet above and a video of the Kosaten opening below, and be sure to drop by the pop-up at BANK Gallery on Cat Street if you’re in town.