Adidas Originals kicks off Stan Smith revival, starting with LA City Series at Sporty & Rich

Adidas Originals has launched its Stan Smith City Series with an activation in Los Angeles. On Monday, the German sportswear giant hosted “A Classic Sunday” at the Sporty & Rich flagship on Melrose Avenue, marking the first stop in a multi-city rollout planned for the fall.

Guests explored the Stan Smith City Series collection up close, with exclusive gifting and early access to city-specific colorways. The Los Angeles pair features subtle local cues, including a golden “City of Angels” callout on the inner lining, a hairy suede Achilles heel panel and faux reptile skin across the upper.

“The Stan Smith has always had this quiet confidence to it. It’s classic, it’s clean, and it goes with everything, which made it an easy shoe to want to celebrate in our space,” said Emily Oberg, founder and CEO of Sporty & Rich. “We love being able to host the first stop of the City Series and give guests a chance to experience it for themselves.”

After years of heavy discounting and wide distribution that dulled the model’s scarcity, Adidas is repositioning the Stan Smith as a growth driver. CEO Bjørn Gulden singled out the silhouette on the company’s Q2 2026 earnings call, saying it is about to resume growth as part of a broader effort to refresh core icons. The brand has already pulled back some existing inventory to tighten supply before rolling out new iterations, including city-led stories like this one.

Since its 1972 debut as the first leather tennis shoe on the market, the Stan Smith has become one of Adidas’ best-selling sneakers.

“A Classic Sunday” is only the beginning for Adidas. Additional city-specific activations and drops are set to roll out in the months ahead as part of a broader Stan Smith push from Adidas Originals this fall.