Stan Smith Tennis Shoe History

What is fascinating about the Stan Smith tennis shoe and its history was its seamless transition from a shoe designed specifically for sport, to becoming an everyday fashion shoe. Beginning in the mid-1970s, seeing sports trainers on the feet of those not intending on participating in any sport for the day became increasingly common. Unlike the years leading up to the 70s, it was no longer unusual to look past your leather loafers when on your way to the grocery store and reach for your ‘tennies’ (slang for tennis shoes in the U.S.) instead.

Celebrities were big admirers of this fashion tennis shoe trend and unknowingly helped Adidas gain a lot of stamina and attention by the fashion scene. In the 1970s and 80s, Stan Smiths were photographed on the feet of music legends and fashion icons such as John Lennon (figure 9) and David

In 2001, Stan Smith’s then fourteen year-old daughter, Austin, explained to her father that he was now famous because he was referenced in a Jay Z song. "Lampin' in the Hamptons, the weekends man/The Stan Smith Adidas and the Campus," are the lyrics to Jay Z’s song The Blueprint. In addition to Jay Z, Smith’s name has been referenced by other artists also such as A$AP Rocky, Joe Budden, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne, among others. Usher publicly praised his own Stan Smiths in 2003. Austin Smith, then sixteen years old, tried to talk her way backstage at one of Usher’s concerts, trying to convince security she was Stan Smith's daughter. "She was not successful," Smith said. Another time, in the royal box at Wimbledon, the actor Hugh Grant confessed to Smith that he had his first kiss in a pair of Stan Smiths. References from musicians and anecdotes amongst celebrities have been heard and admired throughout the years in media, creating a greater demand for the Stan Smith, as though by wearing the tennis shoes, you, as the wearer, will have a similar