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adidas SL 72 x Sporty & Rich JS0261
  • adidas
  • SL 72 x Sporty & Rich
  • "Mint Rush"
adidas SL 72 x Bob Marley JR7973
  • adidas
  • SL 72 x Bob Marley
  • "One Love"
adidas SL 72 OG JP5277
  • adidas
  • SL 72 OG
  • "75th Anniversary Pack"
adidas SL 72 RS JI4530
  • adidas
  • SL 72 RS
  • "Putty Grey & Alumina"
adidas SL 72 OG JI1878
  • adidas
  • SL 72 OG
  • "Bright Royal & Semi Pink Spark"
adidas SL 72 RS JI1282
  • adidas
  • SL 72 RS
  • "Core Black & Cloud White"
adidas SL 72 RS JI1281
  • adidas
  • SL 72 RS
  • "Grey One"
adidas SL 72 RS JI1280
  • adidas
  • SL 72 RS
  • "Shadow Red"
adidas SL 72 OG JH8657
  • adidas
  • SL 72 OG
  • "Cream White & Bronze Strata"
adidas SL 72 OG JH8654
  • adidas
  • SL 72 OG
  • "Silver Metallic & Collegiate Navy"
adidas SL72 OG JH8647
  • adidas
  • SL72 OG
  • "Cloud White & Collegiate Royal"
adidas SL 72 OG JH7397
  • adidas
  • SL 72 OG
  • "Semi Flash Aqua & Bright Red"
adidas SL 72 OG JH7396
  • adidas
  • SL 72 OG
  • "Ice Lavender & Impact Orange"
adidas SL 72 OG JH7392
  • adidas
  • SL 72 OG
  • "Solar Red & Ice Lavender"
adidas SL 72 OG JH7391
  • adidas
  • SL 72 OG
  • "Active Green & Yellow"
adidas SL 72 OG JH7390
  • adidas
  • SL 72 OG
  • "Core Black & Carbon"
adidas SL 72 x Sporty & Rich ‘Sweden Pack’ JH6702
  • adidas
  • SL 72 x Sporty & Rich ‘Sweden Pack’
  • "Yellow & Blue"
adidas SL 72 x Sporty & Rich ‘Sweden Pack’ JH6701
  • adidas
  • SL 72 x Sporty & Rich ‘Sweden Pack’
  • "Blue & Yellow"
adidas SL 72 OG JH6364
  • adidas
  • SL 72 OG
  • "Purple & Off White"
adidas SL 72 RS IH8080
  • adidas
  • SL 72 RS
  • "Night Indigo"
adidas SL 72 RS IH8018
  • adidas
  • SL 72 RS
  • "Grey"
adidas SL 72 RS IH8017
  • adidas
  • SL 72 RS
  • "Night Indigo"
adidas SL 72 RS IH8016
  • adidas
  • SL 72 RS
  • "Preloved Green & Grey Two"
adidas SL 72 RS IH7912
  • adidas
  • SL 72 RS
  • "Spark & Core Black"
adidas SL 72 RS IH4823
  • adidas
  • SL 72 RS
  • "Cloud White & Core Black"
adidas SL 72 OG IH0290
  • adidas
  • SL 72 OG
  • "Semi Cobalt Blue & Hazy Green"
adidas SL 72 RS IG4648
  • adidas
  • SL 72 RS
  • "Blue & Bright Red"
adidas SL 72 RS IG4647
  • adidas
  • SL 72 RS
  • "Core Black & Solar Yellow"
adidas SL 72 RS IG2133
  • adidas
  • SL 72 RS
  • "Green & Yellow"
adidas SL 72 RS IG2132
  • adidas
  • SL 72 RS
  • "Blue"
adidas SL 72 Knit x Wales Bonner IG0571
  • adidas
  • SL 72 Knit x Wales Bonner
  • "Team Green & Collegiate Gold"
adidas SL 72 OG IF1940
  • adidas
  • SL 72 OG
  • "Off White & Collegiate Green"
adidas SL 72 OG x Kseniaschnaider IE9027
  • adidas
  • SL 72 OG x Kseniaschnaider
  • "Denim"
adidas SL 72 RS IE6526
  • adidas
  • SL 72 RS
  • "Utility Yellow & Bright Royal"
adidas SL72 OG IE3476
  • adidas
  • SL72 OG
  • "Halo Green & Oat"
adidas SL 72 IE3475
  • adidas
  • SL 72
  • "Better Scarlet"
adidas SL 72 IE3427
  • adidas
  • SL 72
  • "Collegiate Green"
adidas SL 72 IE3426
  • adidas
  • SL 72
  • "Night Indigo & Semi Green Spark"
adidas SL 72 IE3425
  • adidas
  • SL 72
  • "Preloved Brown & Almost Yellow"
adidas SL 72 Knit x Wales Bonner IE1664
  • adidas
  • SL 72 Knit x Wales Bonner
  • "Dark Brown & Collegiate Orange"
adidas SL 72 OG ID1434
  • adidas
  • SL 72 OG
  • "Shadow Red"
adidas SL 72 x Wales Bonner FX7515
  • adidas
  • SL 72 x Wales Bonner
  • "Hemp & Maroon"
adidas SL 72 x Wales Bonner FX7502
  • adidas
  • SL 72 x Wales Bonner
  • "Trace Pink & Collegiate Orange"
adidas SL 72 IE3428
  • adidas
  • SL 72
  • "Off White & Almost Pink"
adidas SL 72 RS IH8081
  • adidas
  • SL 72 RS
  • "Preloved Scarlet"

SL 72

In the early 1970s, adidas designed a nimble running shoe for athletes competing at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Known as the adidas SL 72, it had a lightweight nylon upper that made it faster, more breathable and more flexible than traditional runners. It also had a thin sole unit of EVA foam and grippy rubber for an agile build that was reflected in its name; SL meaning ‘super light’.

The SL 72 was a great shoe for everyday wear, and it became popular amongst athletes relaxing in the Olympic Village of ‘72, leading to it being called the Podium Shoe. This trend pervaded wider society, where it was often worn either as a casual sneaker or for the growing hobby of jogging.

From 1975-1979, the shoe appeared on the feet of streetwise TV detective David Starsky, and fans of the show soon began to adopt his style, thus adding to the success of the SL 72. In 1977, Fortune magazine named it one of the best-designed products of its time, and more SL models followed, including the 76 and the 80. However, as the years passed, the SL 72 drifted into the background, and other silhouettes began to take the limelight.

Decades later, in 2019, with the adidas Originals series benefitting from the retro sneaker trend, the SL 72 made a triumphant return. The original blue edition was rereleased alongside a second olive green colourway, both of which were popular designs in their own right.

Just one year later, the adidas SL 72 really took off thanks to a high-end collaboration with Grace Wales Bonner and her eponymous fashion label. Full of luxurious styling, the Wales Bonner SL 72 featured a captivating retro aesthetic inspired by the designer’s British-Caribbean heritage, and two more elegant colourways followed in 2023 as the SL 72 became one of the must-have shoes of the decade.

Following this success, adidas launched two distinct versions of the SL 72: the OG and the RS. While the OG was modelled on the 1970s shoe, the RS, which stands for “reshaped”, had an elevated sole unit that provided more cushioning and a chunkier aesthetic.

Talented artist and storyteller Kenny Germé and fashion stylist Cece Liu created a powerful advertising campaign for the release, boosting its popularity once more. In turn, this attracted the attention of fashion-conscious celebrities like Emily Ratajkowski and brought about another high-end collaboration with Sporty & Rich. The sneaker soon began showing up on social media feeds around the world, making it a sought-after fashion item.

When the adidas SL 72 first came out, it was aimed at athletes who wanted a lightweight shoe that would enable them to run faster. However, its stylish design and comfortable build saw it transcend the world of sport to become a beloved lifestyle sneaker with strong retro appeal.

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