SL 72

A new running shoe

Back in the early 1970s, while athletes from around the world were busy preparing for the Munich OIympics, adidas was hard at work developing a running shoe aimed at making them quicker and more light on their feet. Known as the SL 72, it quickly became a favorite among runners, and now, over 50 years later, it stands out as one of adidas’ most iconic silhouettes.

The super light 72

The adidas SL 72 was designed with speed in mind, with a clever combination of materials that made it incredibly lightweight and excellent for everyday running. Its key feature was a nylon upper, which went against the prevailing tendency of the time to construct running shoes from leather. While durable, leather is also quite heavy, so when adidas replaced it with a layer of soft, flexible nylon, it dropped the weight of the shoe significantly. On top of this, the sole unit prevented any unnecessary bulk as it consisted of a thin EVA midsole and an even thinner rubber outsole with a sawtooth tread that provided both soft cushioning and excellent grip. In fact, this is what gave rise to the name SL 72, the number representing the Olympic year of the shoe’s release and the letters standing for “super light”. Along with this featherweight build, the SL 72 also had a collection of other benefits, including breathability through the nylon upper, structural integrity offered by the plush suede overlays, and abrasion protection via the rubberized toe.

The Podium Shoe

With such a strong list of attributes, the adidas SL 72 became a popular shoe among Olympic athletes, though not necessarily for racing. It turned out to be more well-liked as a casual sneaker, with athletes wearing it as they relaxed in the Olympic Village or attended medal ceremonies, leading some to refer to it as the Podium Shoe.

A popular new hobby

Boosted by its appearance in the Olympic competition, the SL 72 was a huge success in the early 1970s. Many people were taking up jogging as a hobby, and all of them needed running shoes, so when they saw it on the TV screen, that was the one they chose. This was of particular benefit to the SL 72 in the United States, where both casual jogging and distance running began to boom after Frank Shorter’s gold medal in a dramatic men’s marathon in Munich. In an almost unbelievable spectacle, a German civilian ran onto the track for the last part of the race, prompting the commentators to exclaim, “That’s not Frank, that’s not Frank… that is an impostor, get him off the track!” As Shorter spotted the runner ahead of him, he looked confused and alarmed that he might not win the race, prompting the commentator to call out in vain, “Frank it’s a fake, Frank!” This incredible moment brought unprecedented attention to the sport, and the SL 72 took full advantage, becoming popular as a daily running shoe.

Starsky & Hutch

While the running boom brought the adidas SL 72 many sporting fans during the first half of the 70s, its appearance in TV show Starsky & Hutch gave it a special kind of credibility as an item of leisurewear throughout the second. In the cult action series, police detectives David Starsky and Kenneth Hutchinson zoom around California in a sleek red and white Ford Gran Torino, fighting crime, with Starsky’s brashness and Hutch’s more considered approach complementing each other perfectly. The streetwise Starsky, played by actor Paul Michael Glaser, was the one who wore the SL 72, his popularity transferring across to the shoe as he appeared in it throughout the show’s four-year run from 1975 to 1979. When the duo returned in a 2004 movie starring Owen Wilson as Hutch and Ben Stiller as Starsky, Stiller could be seen in the exact same blue, red and white colorway that Glaser had worn in the original series, thus affirming its place in the character’s wardrobe and bringing its cool, retro look to a new audience.

Vintage adverts

Throughout this time, the SL 72 was advertised in various publications, some of which can still be seen today. One vintage magazine from 1975 compared adidas’ offering with those of the other big footwear brands, revealing how the 72 was chosen “twice as often as the nearest competitor among training shoes” and ranking it “first in overall quality”. It went on to praise the “well-elevated, rounded, well-supported heel” as a “great adidas innovation” before commenting on the snug fit in the toe, the padding around the edge of the upper and the high achilles protection. Two years later, an advert put out by adidas showed off the fact that it was “voted one of the 25 best-designed products” available at the time by American business magazine Fortune, stating that “No other athletic shoe was featured” in the list. Underneath this bold text was a picture of the classic blue colorway with its textured Ecotex tongue, white leather Three-Stripes logo and heel tab, golden SL 72 branding on the side and bright red stripe around the top of the midsole. In contrast to modern sneaker releases, this was the only design available during the whole of the 1970s. Another notable part of this image was the Trefoil logo on the tongue and heel. The brand symbol had been used on adidas apparel since 1972 but did not appear on its footwear until 1976, making the SL 72 one of the first silhouettes to display the now ubiquitous logo.

The SL 72 returns

As the years passed, the SL series grew, leading to updated versions like the SL 76 and SL 80, and inspiring later models such as 2014’s SL Loop Runner. Elsewhere, adidas’ other sporting classics were making inroads into football terrace culture and the hip hop music scene, but the SL 72 faded somewhat into the background. That is until 2019, when the brand decided to bring it back alongside an updated version of the SL 80 model that featured alterations to the sole unit and the suede paneling. The 72 proved to be a success once again as fans enjoyed both the nostalgia of the original blue edition and the novelty of the new 2019 colorway: an olive green design with white sidewall logos and a vivid orange stripe down the midsole.

The Wales Bonner collaboration

In the early 2020s, the popularity of the adidas Originals series, which brings back the brand’s most iconic retro sporting shoes as contemporary lifestyle sneakers, grew massively, and the SL 72 started to make its way back into the mainstream. This was aided by a monumental collaboration with Wales Bonner, which brought its own special brand of luxury and style to the Originals line. Alongside a duo of Sambas, the Wales Bonner x adidas collection debuted with two SL 72 colorways that took inspiration from label founder Grace Wales Bonner’s British-Caribbean heritage. In fact, it was Grace herself who had chosen the SL 72 after looking through her father’s vintage clothing. Her close connection to the silhouette was clear as she created captivating retro designs that paid homage to the Windrush Generation, who had often donned adidas’ sporting apparel while attending the dance halls of 1970s London. The 2020 Wales Bonner collaboration was a watershed moment for the SL 72, returning it to the public eye and making it a highly sought-after sneaker once more. The partnership has continued ever since, with two more editions of the SL 72 being released in 2023, this time featuring knitted mesh uppers, intricate embroidery and rich tones inspired by the styles of the 70s. These classy designs truly captured the imagination of the fans, and the 72 silhouette increased in stature once more.

Celebrating the SL 72

Off the back of this, adidas launched a brand new version of the SL 72 known as the RS, which was released alongside the newly titled SL 72 OG in a celebration of the model’s decades-long history, its exciting present and its promising future. The main difference between the two models was that, while the OG emulated the 1972 original, the RS, whose name stands for “reshaped”, had a bulked up sole unit that provided a little extra elevation and cushioning as well as a chunkier esthetic. To advertise the dual release, adidas enlisted talented artist and storyteller Kenny Germé and fashion stylist Cece Liu to create a series of striking images featuring both the men’s blue RS colorway and the women’s green OG. Showcased by a range of celebrities, from sporting stars like footballer Jules Koundé to model Sabrina Lan, rapper A$AP Nast and fashion influencer Gigi Hadid, Germé’s pictures demonstrated the broad appeal of the silhouette, which the campaign described as “Super light. Super colorful. Super comfortable.”

Honoring a legend

Later in 2024, adidas worked with the Marley estate to honor the legacy of legendary Jamaican musician Bob Marley through a specially designed version of the SL 72 featuring details such as a classic image of the reggae star on the tongue and his name printed across the insole. The shoe was made to coincide with a movie telling the story of Marley’s life as he was known to be fond of adidas sneakers like the SL 72, which he was pictured wearing in 1976.

A remarkable comeback

Adidas’ strong focus on the SL 72 established it in the culture once more, and both the RS and OG versions started to pop up on the social media feeds of well-known fashion influencers like Emily Ratajkowski. While she was photographed in a classy green pair in early 2024, model and singer Suki Waterhouse sported a yellow colorway with blue highlights as she wandered around Coachella after performing at the California music festival. Thanks to such celebrity endorsements and the release of more collaborative designs like those in the 2024 Sporty & Rich collection, the SL 72 became one of the most popular lifestyle shoes of the year, offering an alternative to the other fashion trends of the era via its unique blend of sporting heritage and classic comfort. As a result, a whole new generation of sneaker enthusiasts got to experience the silhouette’s sleek, pared-back profile, thus completing its remarkable comeback.

An iconic sneaker

The adidas SL 72 started out as a super-lightweight running shoe, but, like many of the brand’s heritage designs, it transcended the world of sport to become a fashion icon. This remarkable trajectory can be put down to the timeless look created by its sleek, versatile build, minimal esthetic and vibrant use of color, as well as the comfort provided by its soft cushioning and breathable nylon upper. More than this, though, the rich history of the SL 72 is responsible for its nostalgic retro appeal and the compelling story behind its prolonged success.