The adidas SL 72 was designed for the 1972 Munich Olympics and later became known by that model name.
The lightweight running shoe was part of adidas’s competition footwear during the 1972 Olympic period. Its name is generally explained as “Super Light,” followed by “72,” the year of the Munich Games. The design used a nylon upper, suede overlays, and a thin rubber outsole.
The shoe’s low weight reflected the priorities of track footwear at the time. Decades later, adidas brought the silhouette back as a retro lifestyle sneaker, where its slim profile and classic three-stripe branding connected it to early-1970s sports style.
The SL 72 is often confused with the SL 80, which is a later adidas model. The number in SL 72 points to 1972 rather than the shoe’s weight or a competition placing.