Brand
adidas
Adolf and Rudolf Dassler made shoes together in Herzogenaurach, Germany, until a split in the late 1940s sent Rudolf off to found Puma and left Adi to register adidas in 1949. The three stripes became the brand's mark and one of the most copied details in sportswear. Coverage of adidas on Quiet Menace runs through the shoes that crossed from sport into style. The Samba began as a football shoe for hard, frozen ground, became a terrace staple in Britain and then a fashion shoe again in the 2020s. The Superstar arrived in 1969 with a rubber shell toe for basketball, and Run-DMC wore theirs without laces. After My Adidas came out in 1986, the group signed an endorsement deal with the company, one of the first between a sportswear brand and a music act. Pharrell's long run with adidas produced the Hu line and plenty of loud Superstars, and Palace has worked with the brand for years. The rivalry with Nike runs underneath many of these stories. Run-DMC came from Hollis, Queens, and the shell toes in their photos from that era still set the standard for how the shoe should look.
Stories
Sneakers4 min read
The adidas Superstar and the Shell Toe That Outran the Court
Built in 1969 to pry American basketball away from canvas, the shell toe found its real audience on the street. Then Run-DMC pulled the laces.
By Quiet Menace Editors /
SneakersFeature5 min read
Air Jordan 1, the 1985 Sneaker That Built a Culture
Peter Moore's red, black and white high top turned a rookie endorsement into the most influential sneaker ever made. The ban myth turns out to be the best part.
By Quiet Menace Editors /
CultureFeature4 min read
How Hip-Hop Rewrote Menswear, From Run-DMC to Nigo
Shell toes, Harlem couture, boosted Polo and a Tokyo ape. How four moments in hip-hop took over menswear and never gave it back.
By Quiet Menace Editors /
Culture4 min read
Palace Skateboards, the Tri-Ferg and London's Cheekiest Brand
A squat near the Southbank, an impossible triangle and a sense of humor nobody in skating could copy. How Palace made London matter again.
By Quiet Menace Editors /
Sneakers4 min read
The adidas Samba, From Frozen Pitches to Every Fashion Week
Adi Dassler built it so footballers could train on frozen ground. Seventy-odd years later a British prime minister had to apologize for wearing a pair.
By Quiet Menace Editors /
Culture3 min read
Fear of God and Jerry Lorenzo, the Long T-Shirt That Built a Label
A ballplayer's son with an MBA and no fashion training made extra-long tees, caught Kanye West's eye and taught American luxury to relax.
By Quiet Menace Editors /
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