Adidas Superstar Goes Waterproof

The Adidas Superstar first debuted in 1970 as a low-top basketball shoe, an alternative to the high-top leather and canvas sneakers that were standard at the time. Its distinctive rubber "shell toe" design provided extra protection, and the all-leather upper offered more support than competitors' shoes. The shoe quickly gained popularity, with about 75% of professional American basketball players wearing them by the mid-1970s. The GORE-TEX membrane was invented in 1969 by Bob Gore, the son of W. L. Gore & Associates founder Bill Gore. He discovered that rapidly stretching a heated rod of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) created a microporous material that was both waterproof and breathable. This ePTFE material has pores that are 20,000 times smaller than a water droplet but 700 times larger than a water vapor molecule, blocking rain and snow while allowing sweat to escape. Before becoming a streetwear staple, the Superstar's transition from the court to the street was heavily influenced by the burgeoning hip-hop scene in the 1980s. Pioneering rap group Run-DMC famously wore the sneakers without laces and even dedicated a song, "My Adidas," to the shoe in 1986, cementing its cultural significance. This isn't the first time Adidas has incorporated GORE-TEX into its footwear. The two brands have a history of collaboration dating back to at least the 1980s, often applying the waterproof technology to the brand's more outdoor-focused Terrex line. However, applying it to the classic Superstar silhouette continues to be a notable crossover between performance technology and iconic fashion.