adidas Originals Campus

Photographs: Jonathan Kope | Styling: Robin-Jade Carolus

Today adidas Originals celebrates its most raw and authentic icon – a classic sneaker that’s been claimed for the street from sports – the Campus.

Like other sneaker greats, the Superstar, the Stan Smith and the Gazelle, the Campus started out in sports and its dope style elevated it to iconic status. Originally a lowcut basketball shoe known as the Tournament, the extremely comfortable sneaker with the simple design was easily translated into a lifestyle shoe. After the buttery suede silhouette was adopted by hip-hop heads, the off-court appeal of the Campus stepped firmly into the streets. 

The Beastie Boys rocked the Campus on the cover of Check Your Head and later House of Pain collaborated on an Irish-themed tribute for which they’re credited with starting the trend of using reflective 3M material in sneaker construction. However, it’s not just the rap world doing big things with what was formerly a basketball sneaker: the Campus has been revived by adidas Originals in both OG and updated forms with premium Consortium reworkings by Footpatrol, Bape and Undftd and Kazuki Kuraishi. 

adidas Originals has always been integral to the cultures of which it's a part, and the backstory of the Campus means that when adopted by modern style tribes there’s an instant stamp of authenticity there. Sure, the adidas Boost, NMD and Yeezy offerings are much more hyped, but we’re of the opinion that like the brand’s former retro offerings, the Superstar, Stan Smith and Gazelle, the Campus will satisfy both purists and newcomers. 

Today the Campus is released in its latest retro reissue, as The Brand With The Three Stripes (this time serrated) drops several new styles of the classic suede sneaker for men and women in colourways that include aqua blue, black, gray, and navy, with an off-white midsole for men and the women’s sneakers featuring a translucent pink sole. 

Held in high esteem by rappers, athletes and cool kids who live on the internet while running these streets, the low key Campus is an exciting update to the adidas Originals lineup and we look forward to paying our respects to the 20-year-old classic by rocking the latest iteration with the freshest apparel of 2017.