Fashion is full of long names and superfluous terms, yet, for the better part of a century, the industry’s most elusive word has been one made up of only two letters: “it”.
It girls. It shoes. It brands. They’ve come and gone with seasons, generations and trend cycles. You can almost certainly picture them—but what poses more of a challenge is dissecting exactly what it is that makes them “it”.
When we delve into the characteristics conducive to having force in the fashion industry, it’s not hard to see why adidas is synonymous with sustained success. By combining classic styles with innovative technology, its keen direction and distinct brand identity has made adidas’ desirability unmatched, decade after decade. Its heritage speaks for itself, with an impressive portfolio of global icons having donned their gear at the height of their popularity—a perfect union between iconic figures and trend-setting fashion.
So how did a sportswear brand become one of the most covetable street style commodities in the world? We’d argue it comes down to two things: an ongoing tie to their roots, and an unmatched ability to capture the zeitgeist.
You’ve heard of the Superstars, the Gazelles, the Sambas and likely most recently, the Taekwondos. Each shoe was born from sport (each evolved from the basketballer’s Supergrip; the indoor Olympiade style; a football cleat; and a mixed martial arts shoe, respectively). Over time, they have been re-invented again and again, combining the best bits of their predecessors with contemporary styles and technology. Today, while you might not take an MMA class in a Taekwondo, the shoe still carries the ease of its sporting origin—an indicator that adds an element of effortlessness to any outfit.
Why? Because even before the brand was focused on fashion, trend-setters around the world saw its potential.
A prime example of adidas’ sartorial clout is the omnipresence the sneakers had in the 1990s. The period’s aesthetic drew heavily from the “casual” subculture, which often involved wearing sportswear with a focus on football-adjacent fashion. adidas, with its strong association with sports, fit seamlessly into this style genre. The Britpop movement, with its roots firmly planted in this casual aesthetic, effortlessly blended sportswear and street style, and their sneakers became staples for seminal bands like Blur and Oasis. This association wasn’t limited to just the top musicians of the ’90s, either. The “Cool Britannia” phenomenon, which saw British fashion and music dominate the global scene, saw supermodels like Kate Moss embracing the adidas aesthetic, immensely increasing the brand’s sense of “it” factor among society and cemented adidas as a key player in the fashion landscape of the time.
Across the pond, in the USA in the late ’80s and ’90s, hip-hop was becoming more than just a genre; it was a movement of music, politics and fashion. adidas windbreakers, tracksuits and sneakers became a uniform of the period’s b-boys and b-girls, and rap trio Run DMC even named a track ‘My Adidas.’ The brand honoured its connection to the culture on HipHop’s fiftieth birthday in 2023, holding a number of community events across New York.
Needless to say, the influence of the concurrent movements bled into Australia, where comfortable cuts and breathable fabrics meant Aussies could both keep and look cool.
Retrospectively, the proliferation of adidas’ sneakers through the ’90s lent itself to a continuous reign over the sneaker sphere into the 20th century—unarguably demonstrated through the cult following their shoes, like the Taekwondos, have now amassed. Their ability to cultivate a legacy of cultural legends, whose names and faces are both directly and indirectly associated with adidas, has instilled a keen sense of nostalgia and supremacy in new-age style mavens, who turn to the golden age of fashion for guidance.
Fast forward to today—it is no surprise that history is repeating itself once again as we see Takewandos take the streets on the feet of some of the most favoured figures in modern pop culture. Front runners in the current music and film scene continue to don adidas designs, with names like Gracie Abrams, Gabbriette, Kaia Gerber, Jenna Ortega and Ayo Edebiri joining a long line of bona fide members of the three-stripe sneaker society.
Gracie in particular has become a notable advocate for adidas, frequently sporting their Taekwondo sneakers. The minimalist design of the shoes perfectly complements her understated yet stylish personal aesthetic, which has captivated Gen Z fans (we’re talking about both her style *and* the shoe). She seamlessly integrates them into her everyday looks, whether it’s pairing the timeless kicks with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt for a casual vibe, or elevating them with more tailored outfits. Ayo has also worn her Taekwondos, boosting its credibility as a must-have sneaker of 2025.
As it was several decades ago: it girls are wearing it sneakers. And they’re all still wearing adidas.
Related: The adidas Taekwondo, In Motion
