Sole Custody

Has tennis legend Stan Smith been eclipsed by the iconic shoe?

- Shivangi Lolayekar

Every so often a revolutionary design changes the way we consume a product: The Coca-Cola bottle; the Fender Stratocaster; Steve Jobs’ hardware. And the Adidas Stan Smiths, that signalled the tectonic shift towards the sneaker movement that’s taken over the fashion world today.

At Paris Fashion Week in 2014, nearly everyone was sporting the classic white leather shoe. It had just been relaunched, after a two-year gap, and paparazzos scurried to snap judicious editors and buyers, all decked in identical Stan Smiths. Because wearing the $70 kicks – which kept within the codes of the sport luxe trend and were comfy as hell – made you part of a larger tribe. I was secretly glad I didn’t have to dole out an entire month’s salary for a pair.

When you look at them, Stan Smiths seem like the most basic of sneakers, with three understated Adidas stripes and a spot of green on the back of the ankle and the tongue. They’re subtle enough to wear to the office every day, affordable enough that you don’t worry about wearing them regularly.