adidas Consortium's Supergrip Revives the Sneaker That Preceeds the Superstar
The Supergrip was a basketball sneaker from the 1960s, which sees its prototype remade for 2020.
adidas Consortium was founded in 2005 alongside the Superstar‘s 35th anniversary, making it arguably the most important sneaker in Consortium’s history. However, before the Superstar was the Supergrip, a basketball shoe from the 1960s that now finds itself re-made for 2020 thanks to adidas‘ special editions arm.
The Supergrip seen here is based on a prototype that serves as the precursor to the Superstar. Both are low top sneakers with a rich history indebted to basketball culture, and both were favored by players in the ’60s and ’70s, respectively. The Supergrip features a number of aspects similar to the Superstar, many of which have been faithfully recreated for this 2020 adidas Consortium pair.
At the front, you’ll spot a rubber gum toe shield that sits on top of the white midsole. The toe box isn’t a shell toe like the Superstar, instead, it is smooth and is made from leather. On the mid-panels, you’ll find three black leather stripes with two sets of perforations between them, as well as a gold-toned foil adidas stamp.
The rear is minimal in its approach, as the low-profile pair is finished with a contrasting mini heel tab and a stitched panel. Staying true to its roots, the Supergrip is finished with a PVC foam tongue, and its original prototype box has even been recreated to be just like the one from the ’60s.
Take a look at the adidas Consortium Supergrip in the gallery above, and pick up a pair now from stockists such as Hanon, where the sneaker retails for £110 GBP (approx. $143 USD).
For more archival adidas, check out the reissued “München” City Series.
