Slim silhouettes and minimalist soles emerge as a Low Profile trend, and adidas dives into its archive of classic sports designs to find the perfect silhouette for your style.
adidas and Low Profile
Since its beginnings, adidas has been deeply involved in various sports disciplines. Its founder, Adi Dassler, was a sports enthusiast who approached every physical activity with the aim of creating footwear to improve performance. This is why adidas has always been the brand of total sport—designing for massive events but also for the most niche activities. From these, it learned new functional and stylistic resources.
What is Low Profile?
Low Profile is a label that brings together many of these designs, which share two main characteristics: a slim, elegant silhouette and a minimal sole. It is a response to the needs of sports such as boxing, martial arts, or motorsport, where contact and reaction time are essential. There is no room for maximalism or unnecessary elements.
More than just functionality, Low Profile refers to a style that took to the streets in the 2000s with revised models based on adidas archive creations. It started with silhouettes associated with motorsport, followed by boxing and martial arts. Designers like Yohji Yamamoto and Stella McCartney began their relationships with adidas using Low Profile silhouettes, with models like Mei and Rasant.
The adidas Low Profile Models
We explore key adidas Low Profile silhouettes to reveal the origins and diverse functionalities of models that share aesthetic similarities.
adidas Tokyo
Originally created as spiked shoes designed specifically for tartan track surfaces that gained popularity during the 1960s. The adidas Tokyo was reborn with a minimalism that connected it to other styles. Its return features a deconstructed upper and leather lining, maintaining a low profile thanks to a subtly textured sole.
adidas Japan
A training and leisurewear shoe created for the 1964 Olympic Games in a minimalist style. The return of the original silhouette (adidas Japan OG) is accompanied by a new version adapted to modern times, with updated materials and a redesigned toe box.
adidas Japan H and adidas Japan VH
The silhouette of the adidas Japan already places you close to the ground; raising the collar height aligned its style with wrestling shoes and the striking Knockout model of the 1980s. It revives a bold style (adidas Japan H) or an even bolder one (adidas Japan VH), reminiscent of the footwear revolution of the early 2000s.
adidas Taekwondo
Straight from the tatami, this collection includes a sportier version with concealed laces (adidas Taekwondo) and a more traditional one with visible laces. Both are crafted in leather, featuring classic toe stitching for a snug fit and a small label that recalls its original name.
adidas Adi Racer Hi & Low
Inspired by adidas’ strong influence in motorsport during the 1980s, the Adi Racer, with dynamic stitching and sleek lines, became an icon of the early 2000s—a time when speed moved from the racetracks to the streets.
adidas Rasant
“Rasant” means “quickly” in German and showcases the influence of racing silhouettes on adidas. Inspired by the classic 1980s Formula 1 shoe, the adidas Monza, its various versions aim to create a visual impact with bold and wild materials.
A low-profile style linked to various sports and contexts, with an exclusive section at FOOTDISTRICT.