Adidas now leads in fashion

Sports brand Adidas dominated fashion in 2016. Sports and style have become inseparable and street wear is blending with high fashion. Adidas played a major role in defining what people wore—and what was cool—in 2016. Through the first nine months of 2016, sales were up 17.5 per cent. The brand opened an experiential new retail store in New York, debuted a sneaker made of synthetic spider silk and sold its first 3D printed shoes.

Its classic styles, such as the Stan Smith, Sambas, and especially the Superstar, helped drive the big swing toward casual shoes and away from performance that dominated the sneaker business in 2016. Last year, the German label sold 15 million pairs of the Superstar alone, and this year that momentum continued, letting the company reclaim the number two spot in US sport footwear and apparel from Under Armour.

Adidas benefited from the continued success of athleisure, which has remained a major force shaping clothing today. Adidas was also behind some of the biggest new sneakers of 2016, the Yeezy line it produced with Kanye West and its new style, the NMD. These limited-run shoes built up its brand prestige while leaving fans wanting more.