Adidas Superstar is a style of low-top athletic shoe which has been manufactured by the German multinational company Adidas since 1969. The design is nicknamed the "shell toe", "shell shoe", and "shell top" due to its rubber shell toe cap.
History
In the early 1960s, Adidas sought to expand into the American basketball market, which at the time was dominated by Converse. The company introduced the Superstar in 1969 as a low-top version of the Pro Model basketball shoe.[1] It was the first low-top basketball shoe to feature an all-leather upper and was marketed as providing better support than Converse's canvas shoes. With its rubber toe protection and non-marking sole, the shoe caught the attention of NCAA and NBA players, notably Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and George Gervin. By 1973, the Superstar was reportedly worn by more than 75% of all NBA players.[2][3]