The 100 Best adidas Sneakers of All Time

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Year Introduced: 1986

This was all Run DMC's fault, really. The Ecstasy had all the trappings of a performance basketball shoe - speedlacing, high cut, proper outsole - but was decorated for the streets. Along with a furry lining, there was a flashy Trefoil logo on the sides and huge "adidas" lettering on the heel. A young Jeremy Scott must have loved these.

Year Introduced: 1974

The Half Shell was exactly what the name implied - an adidas basketball shoe with just a half shelltoe. Produced for players only at first, one imagines it was made for those who felt too restricted by the Pro Model/Superstar toe and wanted a conventional leather vamp. A sneaker connossuer grail of the '70s, the Half Shell was later produced for mass consumption.

Year Introduced: 1975

A simple vulcanized canvas shoe, in high or low, with the classic Three Stripes on the side. Every company had their All-Star; this was adi's.

Year Introduced: 1996

Before shifting his attention to rally cars and triathlons, Dave Mirra was the best BMX ramp rider on the planet. And while BMX shoes generally fly under the radar, Mirra's self-titled debut with adidas should have gotten more shine. Much like later adidas skate efforts, the Mirra drew from adi's soccer past, and - especially in black and white with a gum sole - resembled a bulked-up Samba. There are worse things.

Year Introduced: 1996

Football trainers have never really gotten the same consideration as their basketball brethren, Deion Sanders line excepted. But the recent success of the Darrelle Revis line should shine some much-deserved light back to another Jet's signature model - Keyshawn Johnson's Feet You Wear Key Trainer. Released right around the same time as some of Kobe's finest, the Key Trainer had just as much potential as its endorser - and disappeared even more quickly. A shame.

Year Introduced: 2009

The adidas TS Cut Creator sounded like it should have been a Jam Master Jay (RIP) signature model, but it was actually the guard shoe for 2009 - worn by, among others, Gilbert Arenas, Chauncey Billups and Derrick Rose. The familiar Three Stripes were oriented horizontally on the side of the mids, giving them a speedy look. ClimaCool and adiPrene technology handled the ventilation and cushioning respectively.

Year Introduced: 1998

This shrouded runner utilized Feet You Wear technology along with adiPrene to provide a smooth, naturally transitioned ride. The shroud kept the weather out (and provided an additional place to emblazon some extra-large EQT stripes), and the EQT designation indicated they were top of the heap.

Year Introduced: 1998

Released towards the end of the Feet You Wear run, the Equipment Solution saw even more abstract placement of the Three Stripes. Falling backwards and off onto the midsole, it's as if the speedy runner were shedding the stripes as it went.

Year Introduced: 1993

Long before the Air Jordan 2012 was even a glimmer in Tinker Hatfield's mind, the Equipment Basketball was presented as a system with a replaceable inner bootie and exoskeleton/midsole/outsole. Heavy and unwieldly, it was better in concept than it was in execution - although in retro form it's gained plenty of new fans.

Year Introduced: 2010

Before D-Rose was issued his first signature model, he made the TS Supernatural Creator famous for wearing a uniform-matching blue colorway for the All Star game. The model featured a zip-up wrap that covered the laces and an ankle strap to keep things further in place. adidas Hoops laced a handful of their players with PE versions that made other releases seem, well, general.

Year Introduced: 1984

All-white sneakers that came packaged with markers so kids (and adults) could create their own customs. So far ahead of their time they passed you twice.

Year Introduced: 1978

Look at enough adidas all-around trainers, and they start to blend together a bit. No worries, though, any flat with a gum sole and a suede upper is going to work. Good thing the Tobacco wasn't introduced more recently, or Mayor Bloomberg would be campaigning for it to be only sold behind the counter.

Year Introduced: 1994

There was a period in the '90s where seemingly every sneaker company produced a model meant to be worn exclusively outdoors. For whatever reason, the time-tested method of simply wearing last year's sneakers on the playground was deemed no longer proper. Fortunately, this led to some great sneakers, from Reebok's Blacktop series, to Nike's Air Raid, to this shoe - the adidas Streetball 3. Essentially a mix of a basketball shoe and a skateboard shoe, the Streetball series was built to be tough enough to withstand the pavement yet supple enough to ball in.

Year Introduced: 1986

The "Ewing" patch on the tongue meant everything, as did the white, orange and blue colorup - although the Rivalry, in both high and low, came in all sorts of team colorways. Which means it probably saw more actual court time than any other Ewing shoe.

Year Introduced: 1996

One of many sneakers worn by adidas' young crop of mid-to-late '90s NBA players which included Kobe Bryant, Antoine Walker and Jermaine O'Neal. The Top Ten 2010 was a sleeker, lower take on the Top Ten 2000, with even more pronounced (and swept-back) stripes. Another Feet You Wear product, it awaits an inevitable retro (and a place in Iman Shumpert's rotation).

Year Introduced: 1987

See the Eldorado.

Year Introduced: 1984

Three-quarter cut basketball shoes were all the rage in the mid '80s, and nearly every company produced one. The adidas Strider landed somewhere between the Top Ten and the Forum in both time and style - not a bad place to be.

Year Introduced: 2007

Boasting an ambitious release strategy-Gilbert initially asked for 82 distinct colorways-the adidas Gil II Zero was hindered by its namesakes own health. Just 8 games into the 2007/2008 season, Arenas suffered a knee injury. Still, adidas kept the remix-driven schedule alive kicking out special edition sneakers celebrating the all-star guard's unique personality. Odes to Benihana, video games, and more proved the silhouette could handle just about any color scheme-there were 20 in total.

Year Introduced: 1982

Another '80s trainer, the Samoa featured a slim sole and a reinforced toe complete with a rubber bumper. These would have been at home anywhere from the track to the pitch, and were later considered one of adidas' most iconic designs. No small honor that.

Year Introduced: 2001

Team basketball shoes are generally dreary affairs, either inexpensive takedowns of signature models or generic models destined for the Dick's Sporting Goods clearance tables. The adidas Bromium II (and it's eponymous predecessor) were something different -- essentially a signature-shoe level product that just didn't happen to have a signature attached. In fact, some of the design cues from the Bromium series are evident on 2013's CrazyQuick.

Year Introduced: 1997

Why yes, there was a Feet You Wear running shoe. The Equipment Salvation didn't make quite the same splash as the Kobe-endorsed basketball line, but as the smiley-foot guy on the heel proclaimed, these were part of the family. While not minimalist in any real sense, the rounded-off Feet You Wear concept was definitely a forerunner of barefoot-style runners.

Year Introduced: 1997

While not as iconic a silhouette as the simpler KB8, the adidas KB8 II was still an important shoe. It utilized more synthetic materials than the first, lightening things up significantly, and featured forefoot stripes that extended into a window in the midsole. Still running on Feet You Wear tech, the KB8 II also incorporated the traditional Equipment stripes on the side and the tongue.

Year Introduced: 1987

Of course Run DMC got their own shelltoe. The Ultrastar didn't venture far from the Superstar structure, primarily switching up the lacing (as if that mattered to Run DMC), shadowing the stripes, and adding a large Trefoil at the heel.

Year Introduced: 1984

The Decade was a transitional shoe - if you look at the original design, you can see the Top Ten (from whence it came) and the Forum (where it was going). The Decade had the same "X" side panel that the Forum would exaggerate via its strap, just without the strap. The DNA of the Decade would also spawn the Ewing line, including the Conductor and the Rivalry. A significant shoe.

Year Introduced: 1978

Ilie Nastase was a badass through and through - adidas' answer to John McEnroe. His shoe wasn't anything crazy, more or less just a Rod Laver Super with stripes down the sides and Nastase's face on the tongue. But when you consider that Nastase was Nike's first professional endorser in 1972, this release meant that much more.

Year Introduced: 1997

Before he got a signature shoe (and a max contract), Tracy McGrady looked to be one of the high-school-to-pros guys who chose poorly. But at least the skinny Raptor had a sneaker deal. He endured those early years in the adidas Real Deal, an ironic name at the time since he decidedly didn't look to be one himself. Little did we know.

Year Introduced: 1950s

These may have been the first all-around training shoe, introduced when the 40-year-old Converse Chuck Taylor still represented the pinnacle of basketball performance. The leather Rom was something else entirely, and remained a staple of adidas' performance line for the next two decades.

Year Introduced: 2002

The initial Climacool runner was the most basic of concepts brought to life - the ultimate breathable running shoe, with ventilation all the way around the foot. Just one look at the all-mesh upper made things readily apparent. [Note: They also worked for golf, at least in one instance.]

Year Introduced: 1993

There were a dizzying array of EQT runners released in the early '90s, bridging the gap from ZX to Feet You Wear, and while they each addressed a specific running need, they also all had their own unique style. Choose by need or choose by looks, you couldn't really go wrong. The EQT Running Guidance utilized functional stripes as well as a ventilated window on the side of the toebox.

Year Introduced: 2001

ADAN stood for "All Day All Night," and the zip-up basketball shoe was supposed to be one that could transition from the court straight to the club. And while it looked great (and performed just as well), the tan version would have gotten you thrown out of some places for wearing sneakers AND boots. (Worth noting that said tan version preceded the similar Air Zoom Generation by two full years.)

Year Introduced: 1987

Before Jeremy Scott flipped it into something different with his outlandish tongue treatment, the adidas Instinct was a top-of-the line basketball sneaker. And it stood out already, especially in its red/white/gold colorway, thanks to unique colorblocking and the traditional Trefoil logo on the heel. The Instinct showed that adidas was not going to let the departure of Patrick Ewing slow them down.

Year Introduced: 1997

Kobe Bryant won the 1997 Dunk Contest in these, and thus the Equipment Elevation will always be considered Kobe's first shoe - moreso than the Top Ten 2000 or the Top Ten 2010, which he also wore during his rookie campaign. The Equipment Elevation paired a Feet You Wear sole with an upper that featured enormous stripes and a lenticular ankle patch that harkened back to the Chuck Taylor. Kobe's purple PEs remain an unreleased grail - we can hope.

Year Introduced: 1998

Not only do people not remember that Antoine Walker was the face of the Real Deal II, they don't remember the Real Deal II OR Antoine Walker. Which is a shame - about the Real Deal II, anyway. The Real Deal's successor featured a vaguely insectile synthetic upper, with Ghilly lace loops, shortened stripes, and a Feet You Wear sole. The green version 'Toine wore was particularly choice.

Year Introduced: 1986

Stefan Edberg's serve-n-volley style was as smooth as the sneakers that bore his name. The orignal Edberg came in 1986, a year after his first Grand Slam win at the Australian Open. The color choice, a nifty green and yellow combo, probably has nothing to do with honoring that victory, but it did grab the attention of sneaker heads looking for something fresh. Prior to the Edberg, the Swedish player wore Ivan Lendl signature shoes. Stefan's sneakers broke away from a conservative color pallate, introduced some personality and pushed adidas '80s tennis offerings a few steps forward.

Year Introduced: 1984

The Pro Shell was a latecomer to the shelltoe family, joining the Superstar and Pro Model a full decade and a half late. Was it worth it? Of course it was. The Pro Shell was essentially a 3/4 cut Pro Model with a Velcro ankle strap - a bit unwieldly on the court, but the perfect canvas for later Consortium projects.

Year Introduced: 2001

What better way to bless Tracy McGrady with his first signature shoe than by evoking one of the most classic adidas designs of all time? The midcut TMAC adapted the iconic shelltoe as part of its design, giving it an agressive slant (and a decidedly early 2000s squared-off profile). A strong beginning to an underrated line.

Year Introduced: 1996

1996's Top Ten 2000 looked toward the future while giving a nod to the past. Naming a sneaker for a year just four years in the future may have been a strange decision, no matter how futuristic "2000" sounded even in the mid '90s, but that didn't stop players like Kobe Bryant and Jermaine O'Neal from lacing them up. The Feet You Wear model didn't really evoke the original Top Ten in terms of design, but it was a strong shoe in its own right. It's perhaps worth noting that Iman Shumpert, who has been their strongest NBA advocate of late, was just 10 years old in 2000.

Year Introduced: 2006

The TMAC VI utilized all the latest technology adidas Basketball had to offer, from Formotion to Torsion to GeoFit. Unfortunately, it would also be McGrady's last signature shoe, as adidas opted to go to a team-based basketball shoe program. The UNDRCRWN version, which utilized the African-inspired Mutombo print, was an all-time classic.

Year Introduced: 1988

After the '88 Olympics, the ZX series leapt from model numbers in the hundreds to those in the thousands. THe first was the ZX 5000, which brought an impressive heal counter and Kevlar torsion system to the proceedings. With these features, the ZX 5000 kicked off a procession of key elements that define the series. The "'80s-proper shadowed stripes?" Yeah, those help propel the lightweight runner to low-key classic status.

Year Introduced: 2013

The ADV is new territory for the Busenitz family of skate shoes, which includes the original Busenitz Pro and the Busenitz Vulc. The truth is, Dennis Busenitz deserves as many pro shoes as he wants, and a trip to your local skatepark is all the proof you need to know that each new addition is a welcome one. This one-piece beauty of a skate shoe doesn't look like much, but incognito technology in the footbed and sockliner make it one of the most comfortable, best-performing skate shoes of all time.

Year Introduced: 2011

The follow up to the first adiZero Rose was lighter weight and featured extra padding in the ankle, still allowing for the ankle braces D-Rose plays in. The Rose 1.5 received a special All Star makeup and St Patrick's Day edition and was worn for the second half of the 2010-2011 season.

Year Introduced: 2001

Designed with help from Audi, the synthetic KOBE was Kobe Bryant's third signature model, and the first he'd win a title in. A muted and understated tonal shoe - except in its "Sunshine" yellow All-Star makeup - the KOBE was car design adopted to sneaker design done right. Its successor, the KOBETWO, not so much.

Year Introduced: 2000

Re-ups of classic sneakers don't always work - please refer to the Air Force 25 for further details - but the Pro Model 2G was a welcome exception. The first leather sneaker worn in the NBA found second life thanks to new technologies (and candy-colored patent treatments), and a whole new generation got to play in shelltoes.

Year Introduced: 1991

The first Torsion basketball shoe, the Artillery was most notably worn by Christian Laettner's (and Bobby Hurley's) Duke Blue Devils. Get past that bit of unfortunate history, and the Artillery was the most technically advanced adidas basketball shoe since the Forum.

Year Introduced: 2011

When it came time for for adidas to revamp their skate line, they didn't need to look any farther than their own voluminous archives. The Busenitz bore clear indoor soccer inspiration, from the clean toebox to the extended tongue to the tried and tested traction pattern. Even the materials were sourced from the soccer side, and all proved up to the task.

Year Introduced: 1987

What do you do when you sign Run DMC to a massive endorsement deal? You give them their own models, of course. The hightop Eldorado (and the lowtop Brougham) was named after a Cadillac and the design was almost as garish. Then again, this was the mid-'80s when even Patrick Ewing's game shoes looked decidedly stage-ready. Pat and Run could have swapped shoes with no real loss either way - although Pat would have had to keep his laces.

Year Introduced: 2012

What does it sound like? The adiZero Feather 2.0 was the featherweight (under 8 ounces) successor to the Feather, featuring a bonded upper and a durable outsole to rack up the mileage.

Year Introduced: 1992

Few adidas models capture zeitgeist like the Mutombo. The shoe screams early '90s-Afrocentric colors and big, bold branding-while neatly tying in the players own story. Those geometric patterns, not random. In fact, these draw from cut-pile raffia textiles popular in Mutombo's native Zaire (now Congo). The shoe debuted in fall of 1992, and in February of 1993 figured into a portrait of Robert Strasser published in the New York Times. The former Nike executive had just landed at adidas, taking charge of adidas America and pushing hoops. Mutombo headed into his third year in the Mutombo II, a pedestrian sneaker that pails in comparison to its predecessor, effectively crushing any chance at a signature shoe legacy for the center but also cementing the OG's space in the pantheon of great adi releases.

Year Introduced: 2012

Rose's third signature sneaker built on the following that the previous models had created. Unfortunately for adidas, D-Rose was still on the path to recovery. The Return advertising campaign might be one of the best in recent years, however, and the adidas Rose 3.0 made its way onto the NBA and NCAA courts through other adidas sponsored athletes and teams.

Year Introduced: 2002

The shelltoe cap on the first TMAC was a nice tribute, but a full rubber shell added too much weight. For the second incarnation, adidas stripped away the shell itself, leaving just a suggestion of it in molded TPU strips. This was one of the definitive basketball sneakers of the early '00s.

Year Introduced: 2012

Figures that a European would get one of the best skate shoes adidas has ever made for his signature shoe. Lucas Puig is a Frenchman with a buttery skate style and, naturally, an appreciation for futball. So fittingly his pro shoe is a cross between a retro tennis trainer and an indoor soccer shoe. The silhouette is low profile and the shoe is amazingly lightweight, yet packed with cool tech like a bulk-free SPRINTSKIN upper, and a snug molded sock liner.

Year Introduced: 1985

All-American Duke guard Johnny Dawkins made the Centennials pop in the year before the Forum would revolutionize basketball shoes (and basketball shoe pricing). No strap on the Centennials, but the colorblocking was fantastic and the design was straight '80s.

Year Introduced: 1984

Along with the adidas Forum, the Lendl Supreme was one of the first two sneakers to retail at $100. The year the shoe dropped, Lendl defeated John McEnroe in Paris to claim his first Gland Slam win. Worthy of a winner (and shoppers envy), the Lendl Supreme features a whole slew of overlays and molded pieces-cutting edge shit-in a package that celebrates classic, restrained adidas branding and perfectly articulates the style of its namesake, who'd just added a new backhand to his game.

Year Introduced: 2003

The best of the TMAC line? Perhaps. The 3 picked up where the 2 left off, making the "shelltoe" even more abstract, and slimming the silhouette down even more. McGrady famously wore them in two different colors in the 2004 All-Star Game, which may have represented the absolute pinnacle of his NBA career.

Year Introduced: 2011

Derrick Rose is one of the most exciting players in the league and yet, the anticipation surrounding his first signature sneaker from adidas was relatively quiet. The Rose featured ProMotion tooling and a GeoFit collar that allowed room for ankle braces, specifically the adiZero joints that D-Rose plays in. Assuming that Rose comes back strong from his injury, you can bet the value on these will have you wishing you didn't pass on them.

Year Introduced: 2010

The Supernatural Commander was adidas' premium big man shoe for 2010, worn by the likes of Dwight Howard and Kevin Garnett. Like they did on Equipment runners from 20 years prior, the Three Stripes served an actual structural purpose, this time incorporated as midfoot support straps. Underfoot was the Feet You Wear inspired Pure Motion midsole and outsole, as seen on the guard-specific Supernatural Creator.

Year Introduced: 1999

The Kobe shoe that wasn't. Kobe wore the EQT Responsive, although the model didn't bear his name (and some of them didn't even feature the Three Stripes that wound up on the production versions). The final Feet You Wear shoe Kobe would wear, these led to the infamous Audi-designed KOBE line. Whoops.

Year Introduced: 1993

1991's EQT Racing was cool - both literally and figuratively, with its tongueless sandal-like upper - but 1993's was nothing short of amazing. The proto-minimalist runner turned the stripes into Ghilly lace loops (and also offered standard lacing), something that wouldn't become commonplace for another couple of years.

Year Introduced: 1986

Dropping in 1986, the ZX 800 represented the pinnacle of running performance. Decades later, the shoe was rehashed without stripes as a Beckham model. The OG featured a mix of Ghillie and Vario lacing for precise fit, and introduced the idea of reflective patches for night running too. Safety, when it comes to training, doesn't stop at securing the heel.

Year Introduced: 1983

adidas has designed literally of hundreds of tennis shoes over the past 60-odd years, and not many non-signature models are better than the Grand Prix. A simple design with a clean toe (the contrast on the white-based model is killer), these were recently re-issued in "as found in a tennis store basement" form.

Year Introduced: 1969

Made with referees in mind, the Official was a basketball sneaker in dress-shoe clothing and, as such, was a sneaker ahead of its time. Not only was this a sneaker you could wear to work, but it's one you could T people up in. It gets no better.

Year Introduced: 1975

An iconic trainer for both its design and the designs it inspired, the PU-soled Trimm Trab was the predecessor to the Munchen - and in ways, a better shoe. The speedlacing system and polyurethane midsole made for quite the futuristic trainer in the days of vulcanized soles, and still lives on as a strong sillhouette.

Year Introduced: 1971

The precursor of the far more well-known Campus, the Tournament was a low-cut, vulcanized-sole, suede basketball shoe that picked up where the Blackstar (adidas' first suede basketball shoe) and the Greenstar left off. Other than the slightly thicker sole and the lightly padded upper, these were virtually interchangable with adidas' all-around trainers of the same era.

Year Introduced: 1984

The Micropacer was the first shoe to incorporate a computer, which meant a lot when there were still plenty of households without desktops. It also meant the price was plenty steep for a mid-'80s runner, which meant the shoe primarily found its way onto the feet of running obsessives and status seekers. Hey, back then being first actually MEANT something.

Year Introduced: 1991

An update on the classic Oregon (we'll get to that in a bit), the Oregon Ultra Tech applied a '90s aesthetic (and some '90s cushioning) to the Dellinger Web equipped runner. These would absolutely kill right now.

Year Introduced: 1984

One of the few adidas releases to feature adjustable peg cushioning, the L.A. Trainer was released to coincide with the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. With its traditional design and the unique pegs, the L.A. Trainer is still a striking design.

Year Introduced: 1971

Appropriate that the first signature basketball shoe was sported by a player who would span much of the NBA's history in his 20-plus year career. Kareem played against Wilt and he played against Jordan, and back when he was just getting started, adidas blessed him with a pro model that bore his name and likeness. That alone would have made it a significant shoe, but the fact is the leather and suede highs (and lows) would have been fresh even without Cap's face on the tongues.

Year Introduced: 1977

Before trail running became a true consumer catagory, adidas gave runners this sturdy off-road option. Cushioning comes from the Dellinger Web midsole. Traction from fuck-off rubber nubs that form multiple Trefoils. That's right, runners were leaving adidas branding in their wake on every mud trail they hit. Now that's innovative marketing.

Year Introduced: 1991

A more than deserving successor to the ZX line, the EQT runners were masterpieces in their own right. The Torsion Support paired the ZX's Torsion device and external heel counter with functional stripes that provided additional support, all in a sleek European package. Other brands were making wonderful runners in the early '90s, but few offered the combination of tech and style that adidas could.

Year Introduced: 1983

Speed lacing and a Velcro ankle strap were what separated the Concord from its Top Ten predecessor, taking an aging (but still relevant) basketball shoe hurtling into the future. Nike's Air Revolution utilized a similar lacing setup, but it wouldn't appear until five years later. The Concord also saw plenty of off-court wear, especially in snakeskin and patent leather makeups that were even MORE ahead of their time.

Year Introduced: 2012

Both lighter and more wearable than the original, the 9.5 ounce Crazy Light 2.0 was introduced in the same manner, as the lightest basketball shoe on earth. Yet somehow despite being lighter than the first Crazy Light, the 2.0 felt more substantial under (and over) foot. A tremendous accomplishment.

Year Introduced: 1993

Built for heavy runners (or those inclined to overpronate), the Torsion Allegra sold out the gate for the nice price of $75. Torsion technology provided the stabilizing force, keeping wearers on the straight and narrow. After 20 years one truth remains: The shoe takes well to color and the blocking still turns heads.

Year Introduced: 1979

Part of the reason that adidas has such a rich heritage to draw on is that they didn't design sneakers for just the big sports. The Spezial was introduced in 1979 as an indoor handball sneaker, and the simple suede model is every bit as revered today as any classic indoor soccer trainer. Deservedly so.

Year Introduced: 1970

The original ad campaign implored you to "Run Longer. Run Faster. Run Smarter." The way to do that, of course, was to run in the adidas Country, an all-leather runner presented as a cross-country shoe. The luxe style was just as well-suited for the street, which was where the green-striped, gum-soled shoe eventually made its mark.

Year Introduced: 2012

Let history decide what to make of the PrimeKnit vs. Flyknit debate - we'll just admit that both concepts are incredibly cool. Plus, as of now, the PrimeKnit is way more difficult to find than its Swooshified brethren, giving it that extra cache. And it's not like adi doesn't have a long and distinguished history of innovation.

Year Introduced: 1986

The Dellinger Web improves shock absorption on the ZX 380, and also links it to 1982's brilliant Oregon runner. Both were built for road racing, utilizing designer Bill Delligner's finest innovation, and both remain powerful reminders of adi's running legacy. Quality shades of gray feature on the '86 shoe, well before middle aged housewives caught the fever.

Year Introduced: 1979

1979's all-around trainer, the adidas Munchen featured a clean suede toe, a mesh rear portion and a thick midsole - similar to the Puma California. The recent made-in-Germany retro is well worth hunting down despite the made-in-Germany price.

Year Introduced: 1968

One could make the argument - sucessfully - that the adidas Achill is the godfather of modern running shoe design. The speedlace upper rested on an EVA midsole and incorporated a reinforced heel to protect the Achilles (hence the name). We're not sure what the reinforcement on the outside of the toe was supposed to do exactly, but it looked great.

Year Introduced: 1950

Every white guy's favorite shoe. The Samba was birthed in 1950 as a response to cold weather, hard-ground soccer training (thanks, suction). The black and contrasting gum sole have become classic, the hate-it-or-love-it long tongue a hallmark of Three Stripes football, and the silhouette one of the world's best selling sneakers. There isn't a soccer player around that hasn't run a pair of these indoors at some point.

Year Introduced: 2011

The adidas Rose 2.0 is the boldest design in the line of adidas' Derrick Rose sneakers. The SprintFrame and SprintWeb design helped keep the weight of the Rose 2.0 to a minimum and the flexible ankle straps (taken from a Y-3 design) added a unique design element that made the Rose 2.0 stand out from other sneakers of the time.

Year Introduced: 1984

There were several incarnations of the Grand Slam over the years, and any are worth seeking out - but the creme of the crop had to be the pegged version released in 1984. There were both high- and lowtop versions, although it seems unlikely that many of the hightops ever saw a tennis court. The peg cushioning didn't last long, but it made its mark.

Year Introduced: 1987

When someone says "adidas Ewing," this is probably the shoe they mean. Had adidas not done a line specifically for Run DMC, the Conductor could have filled both roles - on court and on stage (Anthrax's Scott Ian actually wore a pair for years). Bold and brash, the Conductor stands as one of the '80s most definitive designs.

Year Introduced: 1997

Kobe Bryant's first signature shoe in name, the KB8 paired a super-aggressive upper with the Feet You Wear outsole, resulting in one of the pinnacle footwear achievements of the late '90s. The fact that the shoe (renamed the Crazy 8 due to Kobe's leaving adidas in 2002) still gets play in the NBA well over a decade later speaks volumes about its performance AND aesthetics.

Year Introduced: 1985

One could consider this a plebeian version of the Lendl Supreme, but that would downplay the Competition IIs subtle excellence. Adam Leaventon reminds us that Lendl was a bit of a bore, but his footwear legacy speaks to what makes a classic adi a classic-simple color blocking, easily readable stripes, and excellent material choice-the mesh uppers on the Comp give it summer-ready appeal.

Year Introduced: 1979

Leave it to a German sneaker company to name a tennis shoe after a neighborhood in Queens (the site of the U.S. Open until 1978). Maybe the whole Run DMC thing was destined to be from the start. The Forest Hills was a great tennis sneaker, but with its lemon-yellow sole and gold stripes it could have been the worst-playing shoe ever and still landed a spot on this list.

Year Introduced: 1984

Olympic years never fail to yield footwear innovations. With athlete's preparing to compete in Los Angeles, Bavaria's finest geared up and changed the running shoe market forever. The first of the now legendary ZX series was the 500, a high-mileage trainer built of nylon mesh with suede reinforcements. Its the archetypal silhouette for adidas trainers, but no slouch in style either-just peep how the Ghillie lace system complements the iconic Three Stripes. This shoe is an excercise in perfect balance.

Year Introduced: 1987

A basketball shoe in the '80s, the Attitude has enjoyed quite the revival thanks to Jeremy Scott's overactive imagination. What was already a bold silhouette became something entirely different with the addition of wings, teddy bears and leopard tails. But just as the redesigns breathed new life into the shoe, the sneaker's basketball background gave Scott's designs firm roots. It goes both ways.

Year Introduced: 1965

First introduced in 1965, the leather adidas Pro Model was quickly adapted by professional basketball players looking for a more durable and supportive shoe than the already venerable Chuck Taylor All Star. It wouldn't receive its familiar shelltoe facelift until 1969 (when a low-cut version was released), but the Pro Model was a classic from day one.

Year Introduced: 1980

It's kind of hard to believe the Campus started off as a basketball shoe - wait, they had lowtop basketball shoes before the 2000s? - but that's exactly what it was. Known as the Tournament when it first released, the Campus transitioned into a casual shoe later championed by the Beastie Boys back when you actually had to dig for vintage styles. And even more recently, it made waves as a reissue (again) as a vulcanized skate shoe.

Year Introduced: 1986

The adidas Forum was both cut and priced high, a hundred-dollar basketball sneaker in an time when Air Jordans cost $65. They were worn by Knicks rookie Patrick Ewing and Duke All-American Danny Ferry, who put the Velcro-strapped high to practical use, but truly made their mark on the streets, where only the paid (by whatever means) could afford them.

Year Introduced: 1989

One of the single greatest shoes of the '80s. The ZX 8000 dropped in '89. Its eye-popping color scheme (aqua, purple, and yellow) pushed the series from relatively conservative looks to IDGAF glory.

Year Introduced: 1970

Rod Laver was one hell of a tennis player in his prime, but the only reason non-tennis fans know his name is because of his shoes. The simple leather and mesh lowtops eschewed the familiar Three Stripes branding, and only the later, thicker-soled "Super" model sported the Trefoil. The classic white and green coloration was branding enough. Perforated leather versions followed much later, but are better left as a Madvillain lyric.

Year Introduced: 2013

The spiritual descendent of the ZX and EQT lines, the Energy Boost is adidas' latest and greatest (from a pure performance point of view anyway) running shoe. Combining a techfit upper and proprietary midsole with classic innovations like an external heel counter and the latest incarnation of TORSION, the Energy Boost is what the future looks - and feels - like.

Year Introduced: 1982

Just because adidas was in Germany didn't mean they were out of touch with what was going on in American running. Far from it. Not only did they use one-time Bill Bowerman protege (and successor as Oregon track coach) Bill Dellinger's midsole reinforcement technology (Dellinger Web) across their line, but they named the running shoe that introduced it the Oregon. Take that, Nike.

Year Introduced: 1971

The official sneaker of the ABA, the red and blue striped Americana should be as revered as the classic red, white and blue ball. It serves as a reminder that, in the '70s at least, adidas had both professional basketball leagues on lock. And it's just a great, classic sneaker.

Year Introduced: 1979

Designed with input from former All-Star Rick Barry, the Top Ten was named for the roster of NBA players who wore them - allegedly the 10 best players in the NBA (but, um, not really). But to quibble with the name is to miss the overall point, that the Top Ten was an amazing shoe, especially at the tail end of the '70s. The suede toe reinforcement was a nod to the past, but the rest of the design was pure future.

Year Introduced: 1968

Gazelles are straight terrace classics. Scooped up by traveling English football fans while on the continent, the sneaker debuted as a training shoe (texture soles offer great grip) before getting adopted by pub regulars. While the silhouette has undergone changes over the years, the tone hasn't-which is why the Gazelle will always work.

Year Introduced: 1965

It didn't start as the Stan Smith. adidas' first leather tennis shoe debuted in 1965 as the Robert Haillet, named after a French pro. It wasn't until 1971 that Smith's name was added - and it wasn't until 1978 that Haillet's name was taken off, resulting in an odd, seven-year split signature. Smith won his last titles in 1980, but the sneaker that bears his name is still as popular as ever, proving once again that sometimes simpler is better.

Year Introduced: 1972

No company capitalized more from Olympic years than adidas. The SL was introduced for Munich in 1972 as an all-around training shoe - a popular category even 15 years before Nike 'invented' cross-training - and the sleek shoe found its way to many podiums in the same role the Nike Flyknit played this past Games. And like the Flyknit, the nylon and suede SL performed as good as it looked.

Year Introduced: 1969

When you hear "adidas," you probably think "Superstar." The low-cut version of the second-generation shelltoe Pro Model, the Superstar gained traction in the NBA before being adopted by b-boys and spread worldwide by Run-DMC. And 40-plus years after its introduction, it's as fresh as it ever was. With or without laces.