ABOUT THE ART
Laces Out started with an idea to present the sneaker without laces, a la Run-D.M.C. The Superstars, which were originally designed for basketball but also have roots in Hip-Hop, were one of the first 4 pairs of sneakers that Adam selected for his “Art of the Sole” series. Adam came up with the title, Laces Out even before he photographed the sneakers. The play-on words are based on the subplot of the 1996 movie Ace Ventura. In the movie, the Miami Dolphins lost the 1984 Super Bowl due to a missed field goal caused by Dan Marino’s critical mistake to incorrectly hold the football-Laces Out.
The sneaker featured in the painting was found on eBay and the owner was gracious enough to bring the pair to be photographed at Adam’s Manhattan studio. The retro sneakers were hand crafted back in 2014 by Ateliers Heschung – the family factory that originally produced Superstars in France in the 1970’s.
The painting measures 36″x36″ and was created with acrylic paint & pencil on board.
ABOUT THE SNEAKER
The Superstar was originally a basketball shoe manufactured by Adidas in 1969. It was released as a low-top version of the Pro Model basketball shoe.
By 1973, a large majority of professional basketball players across the US had swapped out their Converse All Stars and Pro Keds for Adidas Superstars. They were even worn by top players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West.
The explosion of hip-hop from the mid-1980’s was where the Adidas Superstar’s next chapter would begin.
Run-D.M.C., the new favorite hip-hop group from Hollis Queens, wore the Adidas shell-toes and were the band’s onstage shoe of choice. They sported them laceless with the tongues pushed out. In 1986, the Rap group released their first album Raising Hell. Their first single My Adidas subsequently led to the first endorsement deal between a music company and an athletic company.