Adidas Celebrates 70 Years of Innovation With 70 Creators

Adidas Celebrates 70 Years of Innovation With 70 Creators

Anna Grace LeeJul 11, 2019

From Run-DMC to Missy Elliott, to Kanye West, and Beyoncé, adidas has been a fixture in pop culture for 70 years. It's become the shoe of choice for musicians, movie stars, and athletes alike — always reliable, with a trademark style that's at once classic, comfortable and, most importantly, cool.

The "original sports brand" was born in the countryside of Bavaria, Germany in 1949, and since then has touched ground across the world; from Olympic arenas to suburban sandlots, everyone knows that famous three-striped design.

Decades ago, Founder Adi Dassler set out to revolutionize the realm of athletic footwear, and along the way created a brand that continues to shape international culture and fashion beyond athletics.

Today, in celebration of adidas' 70th anniversary, 70 "creators, makers and doers" from the PAPER community share personal photos, and stories of how adidas inspired their journeys and continues to inspire them today. Below, check out what five of them had to say:

@mazurbate

"Adidas has always inspired me since I was a child. My dad was a professional soccer player and swore by the three stripes in his native Poland. I adopted it and grew up with them as a constant reminder of a classical way of breaking tradition." - Matthew Mazur, Stylist + Sound Designer (NYC)

@fozzisbozz

"Adidas has always inspired me to be bold, confident, and unapologetically myself" - Carmen Fozzard, Model + Activist (NYC)

@honyforest

"One of my very first school gym outfits was entirely adidas — it was huge back in France. I felt proud. Fast forward to today and it's still my cool and comfortable go-to brand." - Honey Forestier, Artist (NYC + Paris)

@christelle_studio

"In the 5th grade, I had the white adidas shell toes with black stripes and thick black laces. Breakdancing was huge where I grew up, and I wanted to be just like the boys. I felt unstoppable rocking those shell toes with my matching black adidas tearaways. I couldn't breakdance to save my life, but I felt swaggy as hell. The tracksuit has always been a classic get up and it's appeal has stood the test of time. It's no wonder the people I grew to idolize were always laced in the three stripes. Look at Sporty Spice, look at Obama! My literal spirit twins." — Christelle De Castro, Director + Photographer (NYC)

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