It goes without saying that the adidas Superstar’s legacy goes far beyond sneaker. The legendary shoe with the shell-toe is an integral part of pop culture after being adopted by the likes of Run DMC and the Beastie Boys in the 80s and 90s, and today remains as popular as ever among a new gen of adidas devotees. 

Having undergone countless transformations and reimaginations in recent years, now another creative is trying his hand at a new iteration of the iconic style. Step forward streetwear stalwart Nigo, founder of A Bathing Ape and Human Made, who today debuts a new collection of Superstar 80s on which he’s stamped his own unique mark. 

In celebration of 50 years of the style, the longstanding adidas collaborator explains this Superstars-orientated project felt like a natural one: “It’s part of my roots! I grew up with this shoe – I bought my first pair when I was 16 – so it’s an important piece of design for me.” 

With this capsule line comprising three colourways bearing Human Made’s signature heart logo and slogans reading ‘Gears For Futuristic Teenagers’ tucked between the sneaker’s signature three-stripes, Nigo adds that updating such a legendary style wasn’t without its obstacles. “It was difficult, because for me the Superstar design is pretty much perfect,” he confirms. “I added some small details like the heart-shaped punch holes without changing the overall design.”

The sneakers are set to drop online imminently. Check them out in the gallery above.