Which Adidas basketball shoe became a hip-hop fashion icon?

The Adidas basketball shoe that became a hip-hop fashion icon was the Superstar.

Adidas introduced the Superstar in 1969 as a low-top version of its Pro Model basketball shoe. It featured an all-leather upper, a rubber shell toe, and a non-marking sole. The shoe first gained credibility on basketball courts, including among NBA and college players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

As newer basketball designs replaced it for elite play, the Superstar moved into casual fashion. Its defining moment came in the 1980s, when the hip-hop group Run-D.M.C. wore the shoes with street clothes and performed “My Adidas,” a 1986 song celebrating the sneaker.

Adidas later signed an endorsement agreement with Run-D.M.C., widely described as the first major partnership between a hip-hop act and a large corporation. The Superstar therefore began as performance footwear but became a lasting symbol of hip-hop style, streetwear, and sneaker culture.