Adidas Superstar vs Stan Smith – What’s the Difference Between the Two Shoes?

Today, we’re going to compare two classics from Adidas, the Adidas Superstar vs Stan Smith.

What’s even more interesting about this comparison is that we’re going to compare the regular Superstars and Stan Smiths and then we’re going to compare the Superstar Boost vs Stan Smith Boost.

And finally, I’m going to review the SuperStan shoe which is a combination of the Superstar and the Stan Smith.  If your curious about how this mashup is the real deal, make sure you make it to the bottom.  

Let’s get right into it…

One last thing, if you’re looking for vegan Superstars and Stan Smiths, Adidas has finally created vegan versions of these classics.

Adidas Superstar vs. Stan Smith

Here’s a short comparison if you’re in a hurry:

The Adidas Superstar and Stan Smith, iconic in their own right, share a foundation of classic design with some nuanced distinctions.

The Superstar boasts its distinctive shell-toe design and bold three stripes, exuding a sporty vibe. On the other hand, the Stan Smith is recognized for its clean, minimalist silhouette, adorned with perforated three stripes and a sleek profile.

While both sneakers feature leather uppers, the Superstar’s shell-toe and chunkier build create a bolder presence, while the Stan Smith opts for simplicity and versatility.

Whether it’s the pronounced sportiness of the Superstar or the understated elegance of the Stan Smith, both models have etched their place as enduring classics in sneaker culture.

Fit & Sizing (Both Shoes)

The fit was a little bit weird. I know my feet are a little bit odd anyway, so it’s hard for me to give you guys advice or what size to get since we all have different types of feet.

So, the Stan Smith fits me perfectly at a size 9 whereas the shell toes model was a little bit snug at a size 9. Maybe it’s because of the shell-toe itself.

So, there’s just a little bit of difference in the size, but it was enough for me to notice. So size 9.5 would have been good for me on the Superstar and size 9 definitely fits me just fine on the Stan Smith.

You guys can correct me in the comment section if I’m wrong about the sizing, but that’s how they fit my feet and that is my recommendation.

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Adidas Superstar

History

The Adidas Superstar is probably one of the most classic shoes that you can own.

let’s talk a little bit about the history of this shoe…

The Adidas Superstar classics have been around for many years, exactly since 1969.

When this shoe first came out, it was the very first basketball shoe that would be the low tops and all leather all the way around. And then it featured the world-famous rubber shell toe.

So, with the rubber top and the skid resistance traction, the Superstar caught a lot of attention from some of the famous NCAA and NBA players, most notably Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Then over the course of a few years, it would transition from the courts to the streets gaining so much popularity through a rap band called Run DMC.

So, throughout the 80s and up till now, the Superstar has become synonymous of pop culture and has basically been popular ever since in every colorway and every collaboration.

So, just like the Converse Chuck Taylors, the Adidas Superstars have become iconic and have stood the test of time.

Construction

It has a cup sole and the front toe cap which gives it one of its nicknames, the shell-toe Adidas. This world-famous shell toe is also sidewall stitched on. The midsole is a foam midsole and feels like it’s pretty thick.

So, while the insole is cheap EVA foam, the midsole feels like a pretty high-quality PU foam. It kind of has that spring, rebound, memory foam type foam. That’s probably part of why the Superstars are comfortable.

Adidas says it’s full-grain leather, but my guess is it’s a nice and thick smooth top-grain leather, which is a quality leather than suede and it actually lasts longer.

On the newer releases, it feels like the quality is even better.

And as we rotate around, we have the three black stripes synonymous with Adidas. In the back, we have the Adidas original logo on the heel, and on the medial side, we have a repeat of the three stripes.

Something that really makes the black colorway sing is the use of gold in two areas. For one, we have it on the tongue with the gold on top of the black logo and on the side where we have Superstar written in gold.

Inside

The inside has a fabric lining. But the thing I like more about the Superstars is how minimal the lining is on the inside. I don’t like really warm.

The lining is nice and reinforced to help prevent it from overstretching or premature wear.

Sizing

The fit is true to size.

I find the Superstars to be comfortable for the most part and they provide a cushy feel on foot even if they start out a little bit stiff when you first get them.

Adidas Stan Smith

The Stan Smith will never go out of style because it looks clean, it’s super versatile, and it’s easy to pair with anything.

History

The fun fact about the Stan Smith is this was originally introduced in 1963 and it wasn’t the Stan Smith.

So in 1965, this tennis shoe model was actually called Robbert Hallet, a French professional tennis player. So these were originally tennis shoes.

Another fun fact is in 1967, the green foam padding on the back of the shoe was actually added for Achilles tendon protection.

In 1971, it was actually renamed the Adidas Stan Smith and Adidas was actually ranked number 1 in the world at the time. In 1973, Stan Smith signed a contract with Adidas at that point.

That’s a little bit of history and thank you Wikipedia for filling me in on the Stan Smiths.

Upper

The upper is leather and it will get softer the more you wear the shoe.

Comfort

I’m not too excited about its comfort, to be honest. It doesn’t have any Adidas Boost technology. So, don’t expect it to be super comfortable.

However, it’s decent and your feet wouldn’t really get super tired when you wear this for the whole day.

Looks

Undoubtedly, the Stan Smith is one of the most iconic sneaker designs. I got to say I really like the design and its silhouette.

It has a really slim profile, although not as slim as the Chuck Taylors, it definitely does not look chunky at all.

I love how the design is really clean and minimalistic and even the three Adidas stripes are just perforated at the sides.

I also much prefer the all-white version because the logos on the tongue and back are much more subtle, which makes it much more versatile.

So, for the all-white version, it is clean and minimal.

Versatility

The Stan Smith is definitely the best for the summer, but you can wear it for spring and fall as well.

It is definitely one of the most versatile pair of sneakers. It is a little bit more classy so you could dress it up or down a little bit. I like to wear this to a smart casual setting with a pair of chinos or trousers.

Durability

The Stan Smith has some pretty decent quality on the upper and bottom. I really like that it has stitchings around the front half of the shoe to really make sure that the sole is strongly attached to the upper.

Maintenance-wise, you really have to clean your all-whites regularly to make sure they stay clean and fresh always.

So, since the Adidas Stan Smith made of leather, you can easily wipe off the dirt and the stains with a wet tissue or wet cloth.

Adidas Superstar Boost

The part shown in the picture is what I think threw a lot of consumers off when they saw the first images of these. There’s weird protruding Boost out the side. It looks like Boost has a muffin top just sticking out the side of the shoe.

This is definitely an odd placement in the shoe and probably not everybody’s favorite.

Will that protruding craziness be forgivable because it is Boost and that means ultimate cushioning and technology on the inside of the shoe? I have to say it’s not really that dope.

I’m a Boost head but it’s not really felt on the Superstar part of it because of the way they encased it.

The bottom actually shows some Boost but it’s not really felt, unfortunately, which is the part that sucks.

Right under the heel, there’s some Boost cushioning and this is probably the most felt part in the heel, but in the forefoot, you can’t really feel it. That was kind of a downer for me for somebody that was so into it.

I do have to say though I do like that they kept it kind of true to form with the rubberized midsole and the shell toe obviously. But, it just did not really work with the shoe in my opinion.

I like to walk on Boost with my Pure Boosts, NMDs, and UltraBoosts, but the Adidas Superstar is definitely on the low end of the Boost feeling.

On the positive side of these sneakers, if you’re just an absolute fanatic of the Adidas shell toe, this shoe is a little bit lighter than traditional shell toes.

And if you want a little bit of additional comfort on these shoes, this is definitely better than the original but still not enough to make me decide that this is the shoe that is a must-have.

Let’s go ahead and get into the Adidas Stan Smith…

Adidas Stan Smith Boost

Upper

One of the cool features about the original shoe is the perforation for the three stripes. There’s actually no three-stripe branding except for that. So this is a remodeled version of the Stan Smiths with this crazy big Boosty midsole.

Something else they added on the Stan Smiths was a nice little suede heel cup with the name Stan Smith on it.

I will say that the leather is OK. It’s not very good to be 100% honest because it creased the first time I wore the shoes. But that sort of stuff is going to happen no matter what.

If you wear these with regular socks, you’re going to be totally fine. But if you wear them with ankle socks though, the tongue is definitely rough.

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Midsole & Outsole

Unlike the Adidas Superstar with the encasing of Boost in the outsole, Adidas did some justice to the Boost cushioning material on the Stan Smith.

They gave it a full Boost midsole that shows on the bottom. This is similar to the way they did the Pure Boost and I really like this overall effect.

It shouldn’t be any surprise for you guys because I’ve been a huge advocate of the Pure Boost since they originally came out, and this is kind of like Pure Boost midsole with the upper of the Stan Smith. It’s just kind of like the perfect match.

Adidas also added a line right on top of the midsole which kind of gives a stitching look to the shoe but it’s not obviously any stitching.

All in all, the execution of the Boost cushioning was perfect on the shoe. Leather was meh, but you definitely get your money’s worth with the Boost midsole.

So, do I recommend the Stan Smith? Absolutely. I think it’s going to be a great shoe.

Before & After

The Adidas Stan Smith was just not my favorite sneaker and when I tried it on, I was not sold on the model even for the discounted price that I could get it for. I just decided to pass on it because it was not very comfortable and was actually very stiff.

But these ones in my opinion are definitely a much better pair of sneakers because of the Boost.

The upper is still mediocre, but the fact that it has the classic appeal of the Stan Smith matched with the future technology of the Adidas Boost makes this a must-have for people that are after that classic look but at the same time max comfort.

Superstar Boost vs Stan Smith Boost – Verdict

So out of the two sneakers, I would definitely pick the Stan Smiths. These are great sneakers for lifestyle and are going to look great with a pair of shorts and a T-shirt for summertime.

However, I’m not a big fan of green, but with the classic colorway, it is kind of a nice combination.

With the Boost, you can wear the Stan Smiths all day long on those boardwalks or whatever it is and your feet will be thanking you later.

All in all, I’m happy that I tried out both pairs of sneakers. I would definitely not keep the Superstars, just a personal preference. The Stan Smiths are definitely butter.

So that wraps up our “Adidas Superstar vs Stan Smith” comparison.

I really want to know what you guys think about the Boost on the Superstar. And, do you think if they put a Boost midsole like they did on the San Smith it would make the shoe a better purchase or it would detract from the original flow of the shell-toe?

Adidas Super Stan

In celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the iconic Adidas Superstar, we saw a big push for that model.

So, Adidas has created the Adidas Super Stan combining two of their most arguably iconic silhouettes of all time, the Superstar and the Stan Smith.

Basically, what we see here is the upper of the Stan Smith combined with the bottom of the Adidas Superstar.

Upper

Looking at the toe box, we have the shell toe which is found on the Superstar. The rest of the upper is your classic Stan Smith. The upper is constructed out of a very soft very premium leather which I was very impressed with.

On the sides, we have the Adidas three stripes done in this perforated form. Then, running up the center of the shoe, we have these white circular eyelets.

On the back, we have this hit of leather which, again, is very soft and very premium.

The heel is finished off with the Adidas trefoil logo and Super Stan branding.

The tongue is your normal Stan Smith tongue which is constructed out of a thin sheet of leather.

As for the laces, the Super Stan comes with a flat-style lace. One nice added touch is the lace tips actually have the words Stan Smith and Super Star on them paying homage to both of those iconic models.

The interior of the Super Stan is also lined in leather which adds a nice luxurious finish to it.

Here’s a video with five different ways to lace your Stan Smiths:

Midsole & Outsole

The upper sits on top of the typical midsole you’d see on the Superstar.

The bottom has your classic Superstar outsole with the normal traction pattern that we’ve all come to love on the Superstar model.

Sizing

Generally speaking, the Super Stan does fit true to size, but if anything, they’re a little bit more on the roomy side. I’d say that they fit pretty comparable to your normal Superstar model.

So, I’d recommend either half size down or true to size depending on how you like your shoes to fit.

But if you’re in doubt or if you’ve never worn a Superstar before or if you have really wide feet, then I think sticking true to size should be a pretty safe bet.

Comfort

From a comfort standpoint, so the Super Stans feel pretty much exactly like your normal Superstars. There isn’t any added cushioning or comfort to it.

So, for a shoe that is 50 years old, it is pretty firm on feet, you feel pretty flat to the ground, and it’s not going to feel very soft.

But for the most part, we’re not rocking Stan Smiths or the Superstars for the reason of comfort.

Quality

This is where I was very impressed with this sneaker. As I mentioned from the start, this leather on the top feels very premium, it is very soft and I am very impressed.

Both the Adidas Superstar and the Adidas Stan Smith are arguably two of the most iconic silhouettes in Adidas’ entire history.

I wouldn’t say that I was totally in love with the look, but I was very impressed with the construction and the quality.

If I was to be completely honest with you, I would prefer my Superstars looking like a normal Superstar and I would prefer my Stan Smith just looking like a normal Stan Smith.

Combining the two doesn’t really do anything for me, but I know a lot of people that were actually very impressed and very excited about this shoe.

I guess it all comes down to personal taste. So, I’m curious about the way you guys think of this mashup between the Superstar and the Stan Smith.

So, we’ve come to the end of this Adidas Superstar vs Stan Smith comparison. 

How do you guys feel about the Super Stan? Is it something that you would rock? Is it something that you would actually buy? Or, are you more like me and prefer the two silhouettes on their own?