Adidas released the Superstar sneaker in 1970.
The Superstar was developed as a low-top basketball shoe and became recognizable for its distinctive rubber shell toe. It followed adidas basketball footwear such as the Supergrip and Pro Model, while offering a lower-cut design for players.
Although the shoe began on basketball courts, its later cultural importance came strongly from music and street style. The American hip-hop group Run-DMC famously wore adidas Superstars without shoelaces and helped turn the model into a major streetwear symbol during the 1980s.
The Superstar is often confused with the adidas Supergrip or Pro Model because all three share related shell-toe design elements. The 1970 release date refers to the Superstar model, not the founding of adidas or the first appearance of the shell-toe concept.