It’s well-known that adidas has been a mainstay in the soccer community since the apparel company’s prominent rise after taking part in Germany’s championship run during the 1954 World Cup. Since then, adidas has garnered recognition worldwide and helped shape some of the most iconic moments in sports and fashion.
From the Sambas’ cult following to the brand's dip into luxury style with Gucci and Wales Bonner, adidas has melded cultural boundaries while maintaining a signature style and authentic vibe since its start.
To honor adidas as a cultural leader, we teamed up with adidas in Los Angeles to host adiClubhouse, a celebration of the brand’s soccer heritage. At the event guests enjoyed a deep dive into the longstanding history of adidas with the “Hall of Originals” installation, a chronicled timeline of events tying the brand to the world’s most popular sport.
P.D.P Sound System’s Shlohmo was amongst the musical acts who took the stage to help commemorate adidas' journey across the two-day celebration. As an admitted fan of the iconic brand, Shlohmo rocked the stage with A$AP Nast fitted in head-to-toe adidas gear. Boasting fresh iterations of classic footwear silhouettes and vintage pieces from the brand’s archives, the duo offered a fresh take on the historic brand.
“I’ve been drawn to sneakers my whole life, and adidas is a core part of that history that led to my obsession,” Shlohmo says when asked about his personal connection to the brand. “They’ve had a huge impact in shaping the culture in general with all of the classic silhouettes they’ve created.”
Initially designed for sportswear, the original adidas silhouettes were made durable to withstand the length of a full 90 minutes on the pitch. But as time progressed, the sneakers once used for evading opponents on the field were taken and repurposed in a more style-forward context.
“There were iconic figures who took adidas sports silhouettes and turned them into something cultural and fashionable,” adds Shlohmo. “Just through wearing the (the shoes) and the lifestyle that came with it, they represent something bigger.”
Over the years, adidas has evolved passed just another sneaker company. Donning a pair of classic adidas kicks like the Sambas or the Gazelles acts as an indicator of a specific life lived and a rallying cry for those cut from a similar cloth. Well-known silhouettes now carry a cultural history representing demographics who have incorporated the shoes into their identities.
Shlohmo recalls the punks and track bike riders he would see growing up rocking all-black Sambas as a type of uniform for the “utility-conscious weirdos” in his area. This mix of style and functionality is a blend that few have done as well as adidas has over its 73-year lifespan.
With the Sambas' recent resurgence into popular culture, the LA-based musician adds that he wants to see the infamous Kobe ll and the EQT BB Boot as the next silhouettes to be revived from the adidas archive.
As the iconic brand continues to evolve, adidas is grounded in the history that has brought it to this point. Never shying away from paying homage to its sportswear roots, as the adiClubhouse event displayed, adidas moves forward with respect for the past and ambition for the future.
For more classic looks head over to adidas.com
