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Rabat – German sportswear brand Adidas is livening up its autumn sneaker collection by adding what appears to be a Moroccan tile pattern to the iconic “Stan Smith” tennis shoe.
Elliot Santiago of Sneaker News says Adidas drew inspiration for the design from North African prints.
The shoes feature color-blocked diamond-shaped tile patterns on the heel paneling and insoles. The right shoe has a blue and burgundy color-blocking while the left has a combination of green and yellow.
The shoes also feature red and yellow accents on the tip of the shoelace and on the first set of lace loops closest to the ankle. To contrast with the white leather that dominates the rest of the design, the shoes have black branding on the tongue.
The Moroccan-patterned Stan Smith shoes “get in step with the season’s biggest soccer competitions” and “celebrate the diversity of today’s soccer teams with colorful details,” according to the Adidas website.
Classic Adidas shoes such as the Stan Smith are footwear staples, but the brand has recently modified designs with materials such as corduroy and Swarovski crystals to appeal to a wider audience and compete with other industry powerhouses.
The Stan Smith tennis shoe first launched in 1965 and was originally named “Adidas Robert Haillet” after French tennis player Robert Haillet. Adidas renamed the sneakers in 1978 after American tennis player Stan Smith.
The white leather shoes have a simple, universally appealing design that has remained largely unchanged since their initial their Stan Smiths differ from most Adidas shoes in that they do not have the brand’s iconic three stripes. Instead, they have three rows of perforated ventilation holes and comparatively minimal Adidas branding.
Adidas has added various colors and patterns to the original best-selling design over the years to keep up with the latest trends. The Moroccan tile design on the Stan Smith shoes will likely appeal to Adidas fans around the world, regardless of whether or not they know the inspiration behind the attractive pattern.
Moroccan tile patterns have appeared in fashion lines around the world, including with American streetwear brand Kith. The brand’s menswear collection for the summer of 2019 featured dozens of shorts, shirts, pants, and hats with a Moroccan zellige, or traditional tile, print.
