Adidas is known for their heritage street-style shoes. Most notably, the Superstars and Sambas (and now Boosts).
These classic Adidas models have become staples in so many of our style identities; infusing athleisure into our suit-game and bringing together a simple jean and white-tee ensemble. There’s no denying the fashion power of the heritage three stripes, so why limit your wear to the streets?
Those of us who take to the ski basin for a winter of shredding know the mountain is a popular platform to show your personal style. Snowboarders like to look good, period. If only we could sport our Adidas Originals in feet of fresh powder…
The three-stripes Co. made this possible by taking its iconic footwear and designing snowboard boot replica styles that can handle a full day on the mountain. (No more neon astronaut shoes!) Meet the winter snowboarding twins of your favorite Adidas streetwear styles…
The Adidas Superstar
Pretend you laced up a pair of your freshest Superstars (black and white colorway for us, obviously), then added an ankle guard with traditional boot laces. You’d have the same stylistic pop as the iconic 70s Superstar basketball shoe but with added snowboarding capability. An EVA midsole makes this all-mountain boot super cushy and comfortable for an all-day session. Flex rating is at a medium and the liner is premium. (Note: these boots tend to run large.) Adidas thought of the idea to bring its favorite shoes to the mountain a couple years ago, releasing an Originals snowboarding boot in 2016-17, then new improvements and colorways in 2017-18 (love the white and collegiate burgundy). The Manual also learned at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market this January that the brand is sticking to its guns (or, stripes?) for next-year’s 2018-19 season and we can expect another Superstar come 2018-19. The magic word: originals. And that’s exactly how these make you feel.
The Adidas Samba
If you volley back and forth between snowboarding in the winter and soccer in the summer, you’ll likely go GOOAAL for the Adidas Samba boot. Alongside its Originals, this Adidas Classic model was remolded into a snowboarding boot. If this sounds like news to you, wake up and smell the powder. Adidas started making Samba boots in the 2015-16 winter season and isn’t letting up on the trend yet. Samba ADV Snowboard Boots are an icon remastered, mixing Classics styling with a mid-range flex and heat molded Ultralon liners, fitting both park and all-mountain riders. We gladly ditched the chair lift for a hike to the summit with boards on our backs, since these boots are suited for the trek. One wearer called them “warm and comfy,” but also “swaggy.” And it’s true, your style on the mountain shouldn’t be limited to neon bubble astronaut shoes. Look good, board better, that’s our motto. (Here’s Everything You Should Wear Snowboarding this Season.)
The Adidas Boost
The biggest innovation from Adidas arguably in the last decade has been its Boost technology. Launched in 2013 for its running shoes, Adidas introduced the world to Boost, explained as “a revolutionary cushioning technology which provides the highest energy return in the running industry.” Boost foam proved three-times more temperature resistant than standard EVA while tested between 104 and -4 degrees F. The unique cell structure acts like thousands of small energy capsules at the bottom of your foot (see the Styrofoam-esk bottom foam). Just imagine if that energy return was in a snowboarding boot… Yep, Adidas released its Tactical Boost boots in 2018 for intermediate and advanced riders who are looking to straight annihilate the mountain.
