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First introduced in 1969, the adidas Superstar began its journey on the basketball court and quickly became a cultural icon — iconic rubber shell toe and all. Over the decades, it’s graced the feet of hip-hop royalty, high fashion's who-is-who, and now, football legend Lionel Messi.

As part of these two forces' ongoing partnership, adidas has tapped Lionel Messi to reimagine the Superstar.

The result? A pair that feels rooted in history with refined nods to Messi’s legacy: pale blue accents that echo Argentina’s national colors, or a vibrant pink with black, adorned with delicate gold name embossings, and the soccer player's logo on-tongue.

This is a sneaker as much as it is a tribute though, a personalized artifact even, and one that honors Messi's enduring impact on sports and philanthropy, all through the lens of one of adidas' most iconic silhouettes.

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Much like Messi himself, the Superstar doesn’t need gimmicks. Its design — streamlined, sharp, instantly recognizable — continues to hold weight, in defiance of trends and fads. (Though it is getting some dedicated attention now, through special collabs and new versions, following the Samba and Taekwondo's extended reigns.)

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With this latest team-up, adidas reinforces a message that heritage and innovation, the old and the new guard, aren't mutually exclusive, or simply coexist. They can elevate each other, just as true stars would.

Takes one to know one.

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