A Japanese Streetwear Brand Upgraded One of Hip Hop’s Most Iconic Sneakers

This legendary Adidas sneaker has always been a style industry staple, but Beams has kicked it up a notch with a subtle, exclusive update.

Adidas Originals × Beams Superstar II closeup

By Sean Tirman

Published July 4, 2025

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Originally released as a basketball shoe in 1969, the Adidas Superstar would eventually transcend its sporting roots and become a staple of the style industry. This can be credited to its culture shift, helped largely by the hip-hop crowd (especially Run-D.M.C., rap icons who made the sneaker an integral part of their style).

Over the decades, the shoe has remained integral to the streetwear trend, even seeing a chunkier, more cushioned follow-up in the ’90s (which has since supplanted the original). While its popularity has ebbed and flowed, this legendary sneaker is on the rise again.

As proof positive, take a gander at the upcoming Adidas Originals x Beams Superstar II. This fresh take uses subtle style changes to give the iconic sneaker even more allure.

Adidas Originals × Beams Superstar II sneakers under spotlight — Some subtle updates, courtesy of Japanese streetwear brand Beams, kick the Adidas Superstar II up a notch.

A fitting legacy

As the sneaker’s name suggests, this isn’t a special edition of the original Superstar; it’s a take on the ’90s follow-up. Overall, it’s a chunkier shoe, which fits with the emerging trends of now (a return to the ’90s and early 2000s).

For the most part, the original silhouette remains intact, as do many of the iconic details, like the rubber “shelltoe” toe cap and the trio of side stripes with their pinked edges.

Beams’ touches are so subtle, you might miss them if you don’t know where to look.

Like its inspiration, the tongue also has the Trefoil logo — one of the big changes between the original Superstar and the Superstar II. This take is also available in white with black stripes or black with white stripes, the two colorways most closely associated with the silhouette.

Of course, these aren’t just carbon copies of the original. That wouldn’t be in the spirit of this collaboration. However, Beams’ touches are so subtle, you might miss them if you don’t know where to look.

Adidas Originals × Beams Superstar II toecap closeup — The shoes’ iconic rubber toecap sports a subtle Beams logo.

Walk this way

Arguably, the best detail change in the Beams Superstar II sneakers is the shelltoe. This take maintains the classic rubberized dome but enhances it with a textured, embossed, stylized take on the Beams logo.

It’s not so subtle that you have to squint to see it, but you might miss it if you’re not actively looking for it. It’s a clever way of adding unique depth and character to the shoe without losing its spirit.

It’s very much an “if you know, you know” kind of shoe. And that makes it special.

Other details include a co-branded gold foil take on the Trefoil logo on the tongue, as well as co-branding on the insole. Furthermore, the outside of each shoe (right next to the stripe closest to the heel) has golden “Superstar” lettering.

Were you to see these sneakers on the street, you might mistake them for a standard take on the iconic Shelltoes. But that’s a part of the magic; it’s very much an “if you know, you know” kind of shoe. And that makes it special.

Adidas Originals × Beams Superstar II sneakers worn by people sitting on bench — This take on the Superstar II is available in both black and white versions

Coming soon

The Adidas Originals x Beams Superstar II sneakers release on July 4. However, pricing is not yet unveiled. Keep an eye on the Japanese streetwear brand’s site for more info.