size? Interviews Complex’s Matt Welty for the adidas Originals Archive

SIZE? interviews Complex’s sneakers editor Matt Welty, as part of its ADIDAS ORIGINALS ARCHIVE NEWS series of chats with individuals with insights into the Three Stripes’ programme.

Welty is asked how the Yanks feel about adidas and whether the affinity with the brand is as strong as it is in Britain: “The history of adidas is mixed in the States. Everyone knows about Run DMC and ‘My adidas’ but the majority of people didn’t start seriously wearing the brand until a couple of years ago when it made a re-emergence.“

Welty goes on to talk about how he himself first fell in love with the brand, revealing that he knew that the Samba was popular with the football crowd in the ’90s, although: “…it wasn’t until the early 2000s that I really fell in love with adidas. I’d visit my grandparents in New Jersey every summer and get the chance to buy better sneakers. I got two pairs of the adidas Pro Shell, the mid-top with the strap. I was into skateboarding and the underground hip-hop scene at the time, and I loved the way the tongue and strapped popped out. I’d go onto get more shelltoes, Stan Smiths, and ZX series shoes from then on.“

Regarding the present day, Welty claims that: “People want anything with Three Stripes on it now, and it makes an easier sell for the brand’s archive.” He goes on to say: “The fashion crowd loves an adidas trainer, and that’s seen with the popularity of the Stan Smith, Superstar, and Gazelle over the past three years.“

Check out the full ADIDAS ORIGINALS ARCHIVE NEWS interview with Complex’s Matt Welty over at the SIZE? blog here.